Find Morrigan
by wayfaringpanda
Summary: A few years after the Archdemon was slain by the Grey Wardens, Leliana receives a missive from King Alistair of Ferelden - "Find Morrigan."
1. The Missive

**Summary**: A few years after the Archdemon was slain by the Grey Wardens, Leliana receives a missive from King Alistair of Ferelden - "Find Morrigan." **Pairings**: Aedan Cousland/Leliana, Aedan Cousland/Morrigan, a bit of Alistair/Anora  
**Warnings**: There will be fighting, relationships, lots of traveling, and memories. So... yeah. I realize that I have this listed Aedan Cousland as being one of the main characters of this fic, but I will say this now before anyone gets up in arms about it - he's dead. It's all pretty much in flashbacks.  
**Author's Note**: It has been way too many years for me to count since I've written fanfiction, so I am probably a bit rusty. Also, I don't have a beta. If there are any volunteers out there, I'd greatly appreciate it - I'd probably need someone more for the characterizations and plot development than just grammar and spelling, though. All feedback is appreciated, regardless of nature.

**Find Morrigan **by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 1 - The Missive

Leliana couldn't help the swelling of joy in her chest when she finally spotted the city of Val Royeaux. Gleaming stone and the great expanses of glittering windows seemed to wink at her; a coquettish gesture beckoning her to enter the den of expertly balanced sin and religious fervor. It had been over three years since she had returned to the city, her heart torn asunder and her eyes dead, and only a year since Lady Lysta, Lady Cecilie's cousin and her benefactor, had finally thrown Leliana out on her ear and informed the bard that she could return when she had recovered her personality or not return at all.

The bard had taken to the roads, then, traveling throughout most of Orlais, singing for her keep at the many taverns she came across when she had not staid out under the stars. She had even ventured into Antiva, faint whispers of memories brought back as she listened to the people speak and drank the wines made by the Chantry. Everywhere she went, she sang of the Fifth Blight. Tears no longer interrupted her performances, although each time a hush would cover the audience as they considered the battle of The Warden and Hero of Ferelden. Each time, her heart had bled a little, and healed a little.

Now, hoping to at least visit with the Lady Lysta, Leliana picked up her pace, eager to see, smell, taste and touch the city that called to her blood more than any other.

The Lady Lysta was an imposing woman, despite her advanced years. Her back ramrod straight, hair pulled fiercely back before cascading down her back like white-capped waves. Her steel eyes gazed upon Leliana as she entered the sitting room, taking in her freshly scrubbed face and travel stained leathers, hair brushing against her shoulders.

"Maker preserve us, Leliana," Lady Lysta said, disapprovingly. "You look frightful."

"It is good to see you too, Lady Lysta," the bard replied cheerfully. "I hope you have been well."

The old woman sniffed. "I am. I had assumed you were not coming back, as I was not expecting you to be gone so long."

Leliana had the grace to look chagrined. "I should have sent word on occasion," she responded. "It was rude of me not to." She glanced down at her outfit. "It was also rude of me not to properly clean up before coming to see you, but I felt as if I could wait not one moment more." A hand brushed slightly at a dark stain on her leather skirt.

Lady Lysta sighed, and then motioned for Leliana to take a seat. "I was the one who threw you out, dear one. I have only myself to blame that you indeed took me seriously. I had not meant for you to vanish completely, only to think upon your state of affairs before returning." Her gaze softened as she reached out to brush a strand of fiery hair behind the bard's ear. "I am sorry."

"Oh, no!" Leliana exclaimed fervently. "You must not apologize, my lady. I cannot blame you for your actions. You see, you recognized how I was feeling, and you did what you thought was best. I needed that." A small smiled graced her lips. "It seems I am stubborn in my moods. If you had not given me a kick, I would never have moved."

"So you have improved? You do not seem to be grieving quite so severely as you had been." Lady Lysta searched the girl before her for any signs of anguish. Leliana seemed a bit worn from her travels, but other than that healthy. She seemed to have regained her cheerful nature that the lady remembered from her youth. However, there was a tightening around the eyes that she had not seen before Leliana's return to Orlais, a tightening that she suspected would never leave the bard's visage again.

Leliana endured the frank perusal Lady Lysta gave her, before smiling and nodding. "I have… come to terms with what happened. I still…" Here she faltered, eyes glazing slightly as if looking at a distant image. "I will always feel the loss. In a way, this has hurt me much more than Marjolaine ever could have. But I must continue to live on, because that is what would have been wanted."

"A wise sentiment," the lady said approvingly. She opened her mouth to speak, and then hesitated. "I am not so sure of what to do now," she finally said, rising and heading towards an old desk.

"Lady Lysta?" Leliana queried, her voice laced with confusion as she followed the old woman's path.

Producing a key from a pocket in her skirts, Lady Lysta unlocked the top drawer of the desk and removed what appeared to be a letter. She relocked the desk and headed back to the bard, standing in front of her while looking down at the seated young woman.

"This arrived for you about three moons ago," the lady finally said, handing the paper over. Leliana's brow furrowed, keeping her gaze locked for a moment with the old woman before finally looking at what was in her hands.

It was a single piece of vellum, folded and sealed. Leliana's confusion increased when she recognized the twin mabari hounds on the seal. Pulling a dagger out, she quickly ran it under the wax, smoothly separating it from the vellum. Unfolding it, she was greeted with slightly unfinished hand writing in Ferelden.

_I need you to track down Morrigan. Please come._ _-Alistair_

Leliana reread the missive over, although there was little chance she had missed anything with so short of a message. Images flashed through her mind: a good-humored, attractive blond man in heavy armor; a witch who was dark not only in coloring; a campfire roaring with the murmur of voices all around; a knee tentatively pressed into hers as she sat on the log, eyes gazing into the dark around camp. She wrenched her mind away before she couldn't stop the memories anymore, and slowly folded the note. Taking a deep breath, she schooled her features as best she good before the bard looked back into the eyes of the woman in front of her.

"You're leaving, of course," Lady Lysta said. She had watched as Leliana's entire body had stiffened, then shuddered ever so faintly. The eyes had fluttered shut for a few moments before flying wide open, desperate to dispel the images seen behind the lids. The lady had recognized the seal, of course, and if she had known how to find Leliana she would have forwarded it on. After all, it was not very often that someone of common blood received a letter from a king. Still, though, she wished she had kept it hidden from the girl, as despite all her healing she obviously kept the pain not too far beneath the surface.

"I at least will not be imposing on your hospitality," Leliana finally responded, forcing a smile to her lips. "I apologize for having to cut this short, my lady. I wish I could stay to play catch up with you."

In response, Lady Lysta went to the door and called to the maid in the hall. The young elf woman ran to her, face flushed from her exertions in cleaning the stone walls. "Yes, m'lady?"

"Call the housemistress, and see to it that she prepares Leliana to leave in the morning. She is to have everything that she requires for her journey. Also, find someone to clean those leathers of hers while she bathes. They're atrocious."

Leliana laughed, light and bright.


	2. Wet Dog

**Author's Note**: I am writing this literally days before the new DLC "Witch Hunt" comes out, so I am 100% certain it will blow all of this out of the water. However, considering the beauty of RPGs is that you can actually make choices, somehow I don't feel too bad. What the heck would a Dragon Age AU look like, anyway? Barring a high school one… *shudder* All feedback is appreciated, regardless of nature. Also, I hope to be updating this fairly regularly, but I work a rotating schedule, so no promises. I will try, though. Also, thanks to mille libri for leaving me my one review, and to those of you who added my story to their alerts or favorites list.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 2: Wet Dog

Leliana appreciated the smell of the sea. She loved the way the salt tickled her nose, the damp freshness blowing against her cheeks. It was bracing, and enticing, and spoke to her bard's heart of adventure and freedom. She also absolutely despised crossing it. It had been with much dismay that she had realized that, in order to shave a few weeks off of her journey to Ferelden, she would have to take a boat to Jader, a few days north of Orzammar. It had turned her a terrible shade of green, one she was certain clashed horribly with her hair. Most of her time had been spent below deck.

"It is certainly nostalgic," she mused, eyeing the townsfolk who bustled about the pier, offloading cargo and shooting her looks of curiosity and suspicion. She sniffed again, then grinned. "Wet dog." As if to affirm her arrival in the country, a pair of large dogs went tearing right past her, barking loudly in their excitement. "I am back, I see."

She settled her pack across her shoulders, made sure she had easy access to the recurve, then started out. A quick copper to a child underfoot and she found her way to the merchants. Despite the look of distaste that crossed his face when he recognized her accent, he served her readily enough. No one was in any position to turn down coin nowadays. Truth be told, it had been rare to begin with. Barbarians that they had been, the Fereldens were practical for the most part.

As she stepped out of the shop, the ring of steel against steel reached her ears. With a start, she looked in the direction the sound came from

_a warrior, faster than she'd ever seen, snarling at the men who dared call him and his brothers traitors to their king, blade whipping out to punish those who would stand in his way_

and ran towards the sound. Skidding around the corner, her hand on the bow ready to draw, she was momentarily stunned to see what appeared to be a field of men in battle. It only took half a second, however, to realize that these men wore padded gear, and were not very good. A training field.

She willed her heart to slow, resettling the bow across her back. After observing the men at their practice for a moment, she turned and headed out of the village.

Leliana's heart ached. She did not know what had made her remember, what had sprung the memory. Maybe it was the feeling of returning home, although she could in good consciousness claim neither Ferelden nor Orlais. Maybe it was the clash of steel, that had reminded her of their first meeting.

Maybe it was the smell of wet dog.

_"I will stop the Blight, but I do not need you." _

_The warrior before her, the one who had introduced himself as Aedan, finally said, his eyes softening a bit but his tone firm. He stood then, and with a smooth gesture replaced his helm, once more concealing his auburn hair, so dark it was almost brown. Ice blue eyes glinted from behind the metal, piercing through her, laying her bare for all to see. She shivered slightly, but remained captivated by this man._

_A enormous hound stood by his side, and the faintest hint of whine had reached her ears. Aedan scratched the dog's head absently, and the whine subsided._

_"But I…" she stuttered, stunned. He was leaving her behind? When there were only three of them? How could he think that he could afford to leave her? She wanted to snap at him, but knew that would only seal her fate._

_"I will go, for now. It's not important that you believe what I say, only that you serve the Maker in the end." She stepped in front of him again, forcing him to meet her eyes. "Think about it, please?" She hated saying it, hated begging. But this man, this Aedan, oozed competence and danger and _

_sex_

_she wanted nothing more than to go with him. Her blood burned for the excitement of it all. "That's all I ask," she added, softly, before turning to leave._

_She had lain in wait for him at the northern exit to the town. If she had been of a mind to chew her nails, she would have, it was that nerve wracking. She hoped he wouldn't manage to somehow get around her. But, as the day started to wane and she had begun to lose all hope, he had come trudging over the hill, companions in tow. To her shock, the caged qunari was with him, dressed in armor and a greatsword slung behind him. She wondered how he had gotten the creature to agree to work with him. Then she wondered why he had decided to take the qunari, but not her._

_She begged with him again, and he seemed unconvinced. It surprised her that the other man supported her, although he had been quick to mock her at the same time. With a sigh of defeat, Aedan looked at her again, noticed the dagger she wore, how she held her body. He smacked Alistair on the back of the head, causing the other man to give a grunt of surprise. "Oh, fine."_

_The sense of relief that flowed through her was almost unbearable in its strength. "Thank you! I won't let you down, I promise!"_

_Suddenly, without warning, the mabari jumped up to plant his paws on her shoulders, giving her a thorough lick to the face and an excited bark. Aedan hauled him down by the collar, scolding the dog fiercely and apologizing in an embarrassed tone to his newest companion. But she didn't mind, instead getting down on one knee to thank the warhound for his enthusiastic welcome._

_It had only been later that she learned that Aedan had scoured all of Lothering for information about her, just as he had the qunari, and it was only after he couldn't find her anywhere in the town that he had finally decided to leave._

It was not a terrible memory, although it hurt to remember. She had spent the past three years trying to both remember and forget her beloved, and Leliana thought she had finally reached the point where she could view select memories as though through a veil. But setting foot here, back in Fereldan, seemed to rip that veil to shreds.

A tear trailed down her cheek, as she turned to walk out of town.

Maybe it was the smell of wet dog.

* * *

**Author's Note (part 2):** So, this actually was originally much longer. However, I decided to cut a great portion of it because in the end, no matter how much description I throw in, no one really wants to read game dialogue in a fanfic. Or at least, **I** don't. So, I cut about 800 words and am left with this. C'est la vie.


	3. Fereldan Stew

**Author's Note:** So, I had mapped out this story pretty conclusively, broken into chapters. It's looking like I'm going to have more chapters than originally planned, as each original chapter seems to be breaking into halves and thirds. At least I have an outline. I also managed to catch a mistake in the first chapter - Lady _Cecile_, not Celine. D'oh! All feedback is appreciated, regardless of nature. Many thanks to mille libri, Rachel(dot)Three and Inclassandbored for their reviews, and to those of you who added my story to their alerts or favorites list.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 3 - Ferelden Stew

The morning was crisp, a brisk breeze kicking snowdrifts up on occasion. The sky was clear, the edges seeming knife-sharp against the expansive white landscape. A lone figure trudged along the Imperial Highway, skirting the ruts dug deep into the road by the occasional merchant's cart. It was chilled, but Leliana didn't feel it much, her exertion helping to keep her warm. It had been worse the night before, when the wood had been scarce and the blankets too thin. She was glad that she would be reaching the gates of Orzammar that night, if she pushed hard enough.

It had been a harder trip than she had thought, traveling down from Jader. As soon as she had left the coastal area the temperature had dropped, and there had been little resources to augment her supplies. She hadn't wanted to stop at the merchant's encampment right outside the dwarves city, but it soon became obvious she had little choice.

"I miss Orlais," she mused out loud, wistfully thinking of the warm bed that she had fallen into at Lady Lysta's. The Lady spared no expense, nor had she really needed to. The estate left her by Lady Cecile had been very well taken care of. The bed was stuffed with bird feathers, unlike any other she had ever slept in, and draped in the softest animal furs. It was beyond decadence, and she missed it sorely.

Then, of course, there was the food. Despite her more than passing fondness for Ferelden, she could still remember Alistair's mostly serious countenance as he described common cooking techniques in his home country. It had not taken her long to realize that he was not far from the truth. The corner of her lip twitched as one of her fonder memories came to her.

_"Please, Morrigan!" Aedan pleaded, standing by her fire to the side of the camp. No one really understood her isolation, although they all were disinclined to ask her why. Leliana was not quite sure how someone could be that unfriendly, and still be so captivating to everyone who laid eyes on her. Regardless if the witch opened her mouth or not._

_"Will you desist?" Morrigan asked, her own voice raised in exasperation as she glared irritably at the warrior. "Tis not my fault that the fool can no more find a way to remove his own boots than cook a proper meal. Why should it be my responsibility to remedy this?"_

_Aedan sighed, quite noisily, as he ran a hand through his hair. "I know I said you didn't have to cook, Morrigan, but if you don't do something we're all going to die from Alistair's pathetic attempts, and then you'll be left to battle the darkspawn on your own." Leliana had only been traveling with them for a week, but she was hard pressed to deny it._

_The witch's amber eyes had flashed, then, almost revealing a sense of amusement. "I am certain I would be able to do a far more commendable job of it than you seem capable of. Why not ask the chantry wench to do this?"_

_Leliana had been sitting by the main fire, staring unabashedly. Aedan had a smile on his lips, and there was laughter in his eyes. It was fascinating to the bard to watch him interact with Morrigan. He obviously was attracted to the dark-haired woman, as would any hot-blooded male - or female, for that matter. Leliana would not deny that the woman was stunning. She had even gone so far as to tell her so. What surprised Leliana was Morrigan's response. She seemed determined to stay away from the warrior, and yet was drawn to him._

_"Leliana?"_

_The redhead blinked, snapping back to attention as she realized that Aedan had called her name a few times. Hoping that the evening dusk would hide the rush of red that she could feel in her cheeks, she cocked her head slightly. "I am sure I could attempt to make it passable, if I had some herbs. I can certainly do no worse than Alistair. But I have none."_

_Aedan turned his gaze back to the witch, doing his best to plead with her. Leliana started chuckling, then, unable to resist when his lower lip actually quivered. If she could see it from this far away, she could only imagine what it looked like to Morrigan. In fact, Morrigan looked slightly disgusted. "Oh, very well." She ducked into her tent, reappearing a moment later with her satchel of herbs. It hit Aedan in the middle of the chest, and he gave her a exhalation of surprise, although it didn't even rock his solid form._

_Aedan shocked everyone, then, by darting in and kissing Morrigan on the cheek. "Thanks," he had said, and hurried away before she could throw the lightening that was already gathering at her fingertips._

_Morrigan practically crackled with magical energies, and for a moment Leliana was certain that Aedan was done for. But the witch had simply thrown her hands in the air and stomped off, heading towards the qunari. Sten also preferred to stay to the side, and when he realized that Morrigan was back to try to seduce him again his long suffering sigh could be heard by all._

_Leliana was not sure, out of herself, Aedan and Alistair, who laughed hardest._

Suddenly, without any warning, she felt her foot slipping. The bard managed to turn to the side before hitting the packed snow, barely missing landing on her recurve. A few choice words crossed her lips, before she slowly worked her way back to her feet. "Feather bed," she said through gritted teeth.

"A hot bath." She stumbled again, but managed to keep her feet. With a sigh, she moved towards the ruts, despairing the dirt that caked on her boots. She had gotten them so clean while on the boat crossing the Waking Sea, too.

"_Coq au vin_," she muttered, one hand on the bow so she could be sure to save it should she fall again. Despite the bow's history, she had never been able to part with it, and Aedan had not minded. A weapon never decided who held it.

"_Éclairs_," she exhaled, looking up at the sky. The sky seemed to suck her into it, a vast expanse that knew no bounds. A distant, enormous jewel that no evil hand could touch.

"And by the Maker, _no stew_."


	4. Trouble in Thedas

**Author's Note:** I had a hard time getting this chapter to do what I wanted it to do. In the end, I'm not entirely pleased with it, but I have absolutely no idea how to fix it, as I'm not sure _why_ I'm not pleased with it. I hope you all enjoy regardless! Many thanks to mille libri and Rachel(dot)Three for their reviews, and to those of you who added my story to their alerts or favorites list

**Finding Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 4 - Trouble in Thedas

Humming softly under her breath, Leliana crossed the small bridge, trudging up the mountain with a sense that she was more cheerful than she had the right to be. A breeze whipped by, snatching at the edges of her cloak, and she pushed her hair behind one ear, trying desperately to keep it out of her eyes.

She was no more than an hour from the gates of Orzammar, finally. A freak windstorm had caught her the previous evening, forcing her to shelter in the lee of a boulder by the side of the road. She had been miserable the night through, and extremely grateful for the flame rune embedded in her boots and gloves. That had been the best seemingly frivolous purchase she had ever made. Not that it had led to her getting much rest. The bard had been happy to get moving again as soon as the sun had peaked over the horizon.

She was in desperate need of supplies, now, and knew that the merchants that gathered outside the gates were her best option in the area. She debated for a moment going in to the city, maybe tracking down Oghren if he was there. In the end, she decided it was best to keep moving on. A quick stop was what was called for here.

At long last she spotted the merchant camp, the hum of voices raised in trade reaching her ears. She picked up her pace, eager to get what she needed and head out.

There had been many changes since she had last been through, almost three years prior. Bhelen had always advocated opening up trade with the surface, and apparently he had followed through with his plans. The haphazard circle of shops and carts that were the previous merchant's camp were replaced with a veritable Market District to put the average sized city to shame. Everywhere you turned was a merchant hawking their wares, and although the majority were surface dwarves, humans were by no means sparse. Leliana even spotted a few elves.

The bard wandered through the crowds, keeping an eye out for her supplies and, in a few cases, stopping to look at a few booths where clothes and shoes of fine quality were being sold. One of her few weaknesses, she acknowledged with a grin, before reluctantly moving on.

"By the ancestors!"

Leliana stopped at the exclamation, looking around as the familiar voice cut through the noise. A moment later she caught sight of a hand furiously waving her down, and a small smile of pure pleasure graced her lips as she moved towards the direction of a merchant's cart to the side of the throngs.

"It is good to see you, Bodahn," the redhead said warmly, stopping in front of the stocky dwarf. "It has been a long time."

"That it has," the merchant said, beaming at her. "I'm glad to see you doing well. Where have you been?"

"I returned to Orlais," Leliana responded easily, quickly deciding not to mention her travels before or her reasons for traveling now. Bodahn was a good man, but a terrible gossip. She would be more than happy to take information from him, but was less inclined to feed it _to_ him. "I have missed the road, and decided to visit old friends. And you? How have you and Sandal fared?"

As if the mention of his name had summoned him, the blond lad Bodahn had found in the Deep Roads and claimed as blood popped his head around the corner of his father's cart. A huge grin split his face, and he came running up to greet the bard. She was surprised when he wrapped his arms around her waist, although he backed away quickly enough.

"I am very happy to see you too, Sandal," Leliana said warmly. She had always liked the boy, and had often slipped him whatever goodies she could get her hands on. His childlike glee had never failed to raise her spirits, even at the hardest of times.

Bodahn had a pleased look upon his face. "As you can see, we're doing well for ourselves. Ever since King Bhelen opened up this market, business has been booming! Of course, I mostly pick up items here to sell on the road. You managed to catch us at just the right time." He looked her over then, taking in her mud-splattered leathers, wind blown hair and cheeks reddened by the sun. "You look like you've had quite a trip already! Picking up supplies?"

She nodded, shifting the recurve on her back so she could take off her pack. "I hit some bad weather on my way in, and had to use more than planned. I don't suppose I could restock here? Maybe with your famous discount?" Leliana smiled teasingly at the dwarf. They all knew that his 'discounts' were in fact just dropping the price to right below 'first born child'. It was a good thing for Bodahn that Aedan had taken it all in stride, simply avoiding using the traveling merchant unless absolutely necessary.

Bodahn laughed good-naturedly. "Of course!" he boomed, motioning for Leliana to come up to his cart. She rattled off a list of things she needed, and he started rummaging around in the dark interior.

"I don't suppose - ooph!" Bodahn rubbed his head, glaring at one of the shelves in the cart as the bard looked on in amusement. "I don't suppose you have any news of the goings on up in the north?"

Leliana frowned. "North? I admit I haven't heard anything. What is happening?"

Bodahn dropped a bunch of items in front of her, leaning against the cart to rest for a moment before diving back in. "Rumor has it the qunari are at it again. They've apparently been raiding all along the coast of Rivain and Antiva. They say there's even a possibility they'll head all the way down to the Free Marches!"

"The qunari?" Leliana asked, mind immediately producing an image of the stoic warrior in their band, either quietly sharpening his soul sword or getting in Aedan's face, questioning their every move. She had thought that Sten was bringing a favorable viewpoint of Ferelden back to his leader, but maybe it was not enough.

"Bunch of brutes," Bodahn said casually. "Even that quiet fellow that traveled with you and them. He had a blood thirst in his eyes, and would have taken command if the Grey Warden hadn't been so firm with him. No word yet on whether your Chantry is going to call one of those marches against them, though."

An exhalation of shock escaped her then, like a punch to the stomach. An Exalted March? Another war? It had been only three years since the civil unrest and the Blight had been defeated in Ferelden. Did people thirst for blood so much? "We shall see," she responded faintly.

After a moment, she shook her head. What would come to pass was not to be stopped by her hand. The Maker would choose his champion again, of that she was certain.

"Any other news I should be aware of?" the bard asked, watching as the dwarven merchant dumped the last of her supplies in front of her. She pulled out her purse from one of her hidden pockets, drawing the strings open to pull out the money to pay Bodahn.

He stopped her partway through her counting. "A real discount this time," he said with a smile. "As thanks for everything you've done for us."

She blushed, murmured her thanks, and started to stow away the gear.

"As for the rumors," Bodahn said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I've been hearing some things about King Alistair you might be interested in."

Leliana raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said mildly, her hands faltering for only a moment before she continued her task. "Do tell."

He was like an old woman with his gossiping, the bard decided as a twinkle appeared in his eye. "Rumor has it the Landsmeet wants him to set aside Queen Anora."

"Really?" Leliana breathed, unable to stop the exclamation. Her mind whirled as she went through the possibilities of reasons behind such a tactic. She had worked the courts of Orlais for too long not to come up with a ready answer. "There is no heir yet," she said, heart dropping as she watched the dwarf nod. "But surely it has not been long enough for it to be an issue?"

"Ah," Bodahn said, holding up a finger. "That would be true, if she hadn't also been married to King Cailan for five years without producing an heir. She's at the end of her time to bear children, or so they say, whoever they are. Ferelden doesn't want another civil war. They want an heir, the sooner the better."

Could this be why Alistair wanted her to find Morrigan? But surely, if it was a magical remedy they needed, Wynne would have been the better choice. If the woman had returned from the Imperium, that is.

Leliana sighed. In the end, she was going to Denerim to talk to Alistair anyway. All this speculation would do her no good. "I suppose those are good reasons, although I don't see King Alistair being so callous," she finally said, shouldering her pack and resettling the gear. "He is a good man, and would not put aside a sworn oath just on the whim of a bunch of nobles."

"He's a good lad," Bodahn admitted. "He came to visit myself and my boy the last time we stopped in Denerim. Don't think he was supposed to be down there among all the common folk, because he wore his cloak the entire time. But it was good to see him."

The bard finally had herself settled, and extended a hand to the dwarf. "It was a pleasure to see you again, Bodahn," she said, struggling not to wince as he crushed her hand with his own. "I hope we run into each other again someday soon."

A plucking at her leathers caused her to turn. Sandal stood at her side, gazing up at her sadly. "Enchantment?" he asked, a finger going out to trace one of the runes imbedded in her gear.

"Not this time," she said softly. A bolt of inspiration hit her, then, and she dug a moment in her pack before pulling out a small Orlesian carved horse. It had been something she had picked up on her travels, and now just seemed like the moment for her to give it up. "Here you go, Sandal. A present for you."

The smile she got in return did more to keep her warm as she left the gates of Orzammar than any rune could have.


	5. Seduction

**Author's Note:** I played the DLC Witch Hunt. I absolutely loved it. I was a bit miffed that after the last dialogue, you don't get to move around and inspect things (for those who've played it, you know exactly what I'm talking about). However, I have decided that while I like where it ended up, I will not be using any of it for this story, since it pretty much throws everything I have planned to the wind. So, forewarning, this will definitely break with the canon set forth by Witch Hunt (whatever canon you can get from this game and the DLC, it is pretty damn malleable). Many thanks to mille libri for the continued support in reviews, it helps keep me in this. Not that I think I could leave, since Dragon Age is basically like crack to me now. Mmm, crack. Also, thanks to those who added my story to their alerts or favorites list.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 5 - Seduction

Just out of sight of the old Imperium Highway, a small camp had been set up. A lean-to had been thrown up between two trees, and a small fire burned cheerfully in the center of a ring of stones. Within a hundred paces was a small creek, little more than a trickle of water over stones, with a shallow pool dug out. It was obviously a common stopping point for travelers,

Sitting by the fire, leaning against her pack, sat a young woman. Her hair gleamed the same color as the fire, seeming a companion to the flames that leapt into the night air. Beside her lay the remains of her dinner, a rabbit that had been shot with a well aimed arrow and summarily dressed, dusted with herbs and roasted. She still wore her leathers, although the gloves had been removed and the laces on the boots loosened.

Leliana stared into the flames, her eyes heavy with exhaustion She was pushing herself, she knew, the feeling that she needed to reach Denerim growing stronger as she got closer. Eyeing the lean-to, she wondered what had possessed her to turn down the opportunity to stay at the Spoiled Princess in Lake Calenhad. Still, it was a nice enough night, and it meant that she was that much closer. Entranced by the moving tendrils of orange, red, and yellow, she felt her eyes begin to go heavy and her mind wander.

_A fire crackled merrily in the center of camp. The pot used for stew sat to one side, already scoured free by a whistling would-be templar and a scowling qunari, both of whom had retreated to their areas of the camp afterwards. Morrigan had abstained from joining them for the meal, much as usual, and probably to the benefit of her digestive system. Aedan, despite his choice of bedwarmer, refused to eat away from the others, and he had joined them in an evening of jests and mockery at the expense of Alistair's failed attempts of cooking. He'd even offered to take over the cleaning, but Alistair had waved the nobleman off and over towards the witch's area._

_"Go on," Alistair had said cheerily. "If Morrigan could kill with just her looks, we'd all be dead. On second thought, maybe she can and she hasn't yet." A look of consternation crossed the man's face, and he firmly placed a hand in-between Aedan's shoulder blades and pushed. "Go over there before we're forced to find out."_

_Aedan had laughed good-naturedly, managing to swat his companion in the arm before moving out of reach. "All right, I'm going." He turned and winked at Leliana, who had nearly dropped her water skin at the easy flirtation. "You have a good night, Leli. I'll see you in the morning."_

_"You too," she had murmured, and watched him practically strut over to Morrigan's campfire. She had watched him sit down next to the woman, and at first it looked like they were going to argue. But then, Aedan had leaned forward and whispered something into the witch's ear, and her amber eyes had flashed in the firelight as she hauled Aedan up and practically dragged him into the tent._

_"I must admit I am surprised."_

_Leliana looked up from her contemplation of the fire to see their newest party member. Zevran had joined them right outside of Redcliffe not two days past, and they were now on their way to the Circle of Magi. Maybe "joined" was the wrong word. If not for her words of mercy, Leliana was sure that Aedan would have cut the assassin down._

_Of course, if he persisted with his libidinous advances, she might change her mind._

_"For the last time, Zevran," she said with a sigh. "I will not be inviting you into my tent. I'd hoped I was abundantly clear on this matter."_

_The elf sat down beside her, laughing. "If at first you don't succeed, my fair lady. But no, that is not what I am talking about. I mean I am surprised that it is the lovely witch who invites our dear leader into her tent, and not you."_

_Leliana could have sworn her head nearly flew off of her neck, she turned so fast to look at him. "Excuse me?" she asked, a hint of incredulity in her voice causing it to rise an octave. "I am sure you have no idea what you are talking about!"_

_"Oh?" the elf said with amusement. "I think it very odd, really. Morrigan wanted the Grey Warden to kill me, whereas you asked him to stay his hand. I immediately assumed that, since he did not kill me, that meant you were his woman and the witch was not. Imagine my surprise to find him, how shall I say, teaching her staff techniques?"_

_The bard had heard a lot of crudities in her time, but that one was possibly one of the more original ones. "Obviously you assume to much," she said primly, shifting away from him slightly in disgust. "Aedan and I are friends, that is all. Furthermore, it is certainly no business of yours who shares tents."_

_The elven assassin laughed at that. "Just friends, you say? I have seen the way you look at him, even if he has not. I am certain the witch has, although you seem determined to ignore her warnings."_

_Leliana winced at that. Morrigan had been less than subtle in staking her claim, although at first Leliana honestly could say she had no idea what the woman was talking about. She was more embarrassed that Zevran had overheard. If he had been listening, there was a possibility that Aedan had heard and that- well, that was something that she did not want to think about at all._

_"I have no designs on Aedan, elf," she snapped. "I have more pressing things to worry about, such as helping to end this Blight. It would seem you have more pressing things to attend to, as well - such as saving your own neck from the chopping block."_

_Zevran rested his chin in one hand, looking at her askance. "I could be like Sten, caring only for the mission, quietly raging at every misstep the Wardens take. Or I could be like Morrigan, slowly wrapping them around my little finger. Or I could be like you, so innocent and polished on the surface and so manipulative and tarnished underneath." He stood then, ignoring the gaping look that had crossed the bard's face. "I will choose to be me, I think, and stick my nose wherever it happens to take me, regardless of the danger. I find I am truly happiest then."_

_With a whistle, he moved off, not sparing a look back._

_Leliana sat there, aghast at the accusations the elven assassin had thrown around without a care. He knew nothing about her, about any of them. What possible statements could he make with any sort of veracity to them?_

_After a moment, she stood as well, cheeks burning as she moved as far away from camp as was safe, from sly elves and stolid qunari and snoring templars and, in the distance, the faint moans of two people who could spare no thoughts for any of them._

With a start, Leliana snapped back to full awareness, barely keeping from falling over. It took her a moment to realize that she had fallen asleep at the fire. With a scowl, she got up and moved towards the lean-to, determined to get some rest before moving on in the morning.

She did not bother to wipe away the stream of tears, knowing it to be a futile effort as she could not seem to stop.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Okay, I know that technically you don't have the option of getting Zevran in your party until you've successfully recruited one of the treaty members or finished Redcliffe up to Arl Eamon or finished the Urn of Sacred Ashes quest. However, I needed him in the party. So, I tweaked. Forgive me?  
**ETA:** Note to self - whenever the desire hits you to post at 1:30 in the morning, don't. Wait until you've slept and read it over first. Oh, the errors... I hope I caught them all!


	6. Epitaph

**Author's Note: **This chapter brought to you by the letter "A" - can't spell angst without it! I wasn't expecting to do this scene until later, but quite frankly the geography of Ferelden wouldn't let me do otherwise. So, there you have it. Also, just a forewarning, there's a distinct possibility this could go from a "T" rating to an "M" rating. Next chapter is really quite borderline, and there's more to come, so I may just have to push it over. Many thanks to Abydos Jackson, mille libri and interesting2125 for their wonderful reviews, I appreciate and revel in every word. I'm glad you like it so far! Also, thanks to those who have added my story to their favorites or alerts list. I heart you too.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 6 - Epitaph

If she were pressed, Leliana would find it hard to explain why she was standing outside of Castle Cousland. She would find it even harder to explain why she was there when it seemed she could not make it to Denerim fast enough for her own peace of mind. She would be forced to admit, however, that there was no explanation why this was her first time setting foot on these lands.

It was fortunate, then, that when she was brought before Teyrn Fergus Cousland the man was kind enough to not ask her why. Instead, he simply dismissed the rest of the plaintiffs in court for that day, and led her further into the castle.

"I'm glad you finally came, my lady," Fergus said with a small smile as they wound their way through the halls.

"I am sorry I did not come sooner," the redhead responded, her tone subdued. She could hardly look at the teyrn, the ghost of his brother dancing over his features.

Fergus stopped, a panicked look on his face. "No, no, that is not what I meant!" he said hastily. "I was not chastising you, my lady, I apologize if it seemed that way," he added. "I just… oh, bother, I never was that good at getting my point across. It's a wonder the arls and banns don't run about rioting."

Leliana placed a hand on his elbow. "I understand, my lord," she said, a hint of her noblewoman's training coming back to her. "But I should have come sooner all the same."

After a moment, Fergus nodded, then continued down the hallway.

They ended up in a private garden. At least, that was what Leliana assumed it was, until she noticed that at the far end stood a series of stone markers. Walking softly over the grass, she drew closer to see that they were stone sarcophagi, set into the earth and ringed in flowers, most notably the heather that was common for Highever's climate. However, there was one at the very end that stood out among the rest.

It was ringed in Andraste's Grace.

She was never quite sure how she made it to kneel by Aedan Cousland's grave. At one moment, she had been standing some ways away, and the next she was there, knees pressed into the dirt as her fingers traced the letters to her lover's name.

"King Alistair told me," Fergus finally said, softly, as he stood behind her. "About the flowers, I mean. He came here when the body… when Aedan was brought from Denerim. He said that Aedan would want to be surrounded by flowers that would remind him of you."

The bard could not tear her eyes from the stone. "Thank you," she managed to finally get out.

After a moment, she could hear him start to back away. "I'll leave you alone. Take your time."

Then she was alone, with none but her dead lover to keep her company. That's when the tears came.

_"Leli," Aedan gasped, whirling so suddenly she almost ran into him. He - they - were covered from head to toe in gore, exhausted from fighting their way through the city. Starfang was clutched in his hand, and it wavered slightly as he looked down at the woman before him._

_"Aedan?" A hint of confusion threaded her voice. She could hear the archdemon. It's screams were causing the entire fort to shake. It terrified her to know that it was on the other side of the doors, that it was only thick oak that separated her and her companions from seemingly insurmountable odds._

_Starfang clattered to the ground, and before she could even react Aedan was holding her, kissing her, devouring her mind, body and soul. Leliana could not help reacting, her arms coming around to pull him tighter to her, to try and absorb him into her body so they could be one instead of two halves. For once, their companions chose to say nothing, simply using the time to rest and gather their reserves._

_"I love you, Leli," he whispered then, fiercely, kissing her lips, her eyes, her nose, everything he could, ignoring the filth they were covered in as only a lover can. "I love you more than anything."_

_A thousand thoughts went through her mind, and she howled internally as each one told her he was trying to say goodbye. "Prove it," she whispered fiercely back, causing him to start. "Come back to me after this, and tell me again, and know that I will be waiting for that moment. I love you, Aedan."_

_She had purposefully ignored the look of despair that crossed his face the instant before he had kissed her one last time, before snatching up his sword and bursting out onto the rooftop to face his destiny._

"You should have told me," she whispered, tracing the Highever seal that had graced the shield Aedan refused to set aside their entire journey. Her hand clenched, then, and she smashed it down onto the marker. _"You should have told me!"_ Her scream echoed through the garden, forcing a bird to take flight with an undignified squawk.

Then she was railing against the stone, pounding her fists until they started to bleed, crying and yelling incoherently as she grieved for the loss of one half of her soul. Finally, her blows slowed, and eventually she stopped, slumped over and exhausted. Not caring how it looked, she curled up next to the stone, one arm thrown over the top of the sarcophagus as one would over a lover in the bed next to you.

"Why, you silly fool?" she whispered, eyes swollen and lidded from crying. "Did you not trust me to let you do what you needed to? Why could you not tell me, so I would know to treasure all the more every moment we had left? Why make me ask for something you knew you could not give?"

But she knew why. She knew that she would not have been strong enough to let him go, not after everything they had been through to come together. She was tenacious, and devious, and would use whatever method necessary to get her way. She would have sent someone else to their death, if it meant she could have her Aedan with her.

He had known her best, and so had not told her at all. She could not find it in her to love him less for it.

Eventually she was roused by the encroaching shadows. Unsure of how long she had been lying there, she got up, wiping her eyes and brushing the dirt from her leathers. When she felt that she had done as much as she could, the bard retraced the steps she had taken earlier with the teyrn.

A young elf maid was waiting for her just outside the garden, just far enough away to give her total privacy while still being able to catch Leliana once she left. The girl came running up. "Excuse me, my lady," she said softly, struggling not to stare wide eyed at the bard. "But the teyrn would like to see you in the library."

"Of course," Leliana said, wincing at the hoarseness of her voice. She noticed, then, the blood still on her hands from her tirade. "I don't suppose I could wash up quickly beforehand?" she asked.

"O-of course!" the elf exclaimed. "Right this way."

It was not long after that Leliana entered the library, her hands and face freshly scrubbed, hair assembled to something resembling normal and throat wetted with watered down wine. She spotted the teyrn at a desk, poring over some old manuscript with barely concealed boredom. "My lord," she said, coming to a stop in front of him.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, a look of relief coming across his face. "I see Lisbeth found you. I told her not to bother you until you came out. She didn't bother you, did she?"

"Oh no," Leliana responded with a smile. "She was no bother at all."

"Good," Fergus said with a grin. "Would you like to have a seat?"

Leliana opened her mouth, hesitated, then closed it again. "My lord," she finally said. "I do not want to seem rude, but…"

"… But you have places to be, I assume?" The teyrn gave a hearty sigh. "Pity. I could use some company at the dinner table other than my seneschal. He's ever so dry." He stood up and walked around the desk towards her. Extending his arm, he grinned. "May I at least have the pleasure of escorting you to the gates, my lady?"

Her heart ached to see that smile, but she returned it gladly, accepting the arm. "I would be honored, my lord."

They chatted as they slowly walked, about nothing in particular and absolutely nothing of importance. When they reached the gate, Fergus stopped, and proceeded to kiss Leliana on the cheek.

"I know you and my brother never had anything formal," he said, countenance serious and voice firm. "But I want you to know you have a home here. You are family to me."

Her throat closed at that, and Leliana leaned forward to give him a quick hug. "Thank you," she whispered, and then with one final wave was out the gate and gone.


	7. Silent Vigil

**Author's Note: **I'm upgrading this story to "M", because I'm a firm believer in better safe than sorry. Plus, I will be writing more later on down the line, and it will be much more descriptive, so I don't feel _too_ bad about it. I hope the skipping about in time in the flashbacks isn't throwing things off, but I find that certain stops along Leliana's journey are going to evoke certain memories, and they won't always be in chronological order. I'm looking forward to getting Leliana and Alistair together, though. I think they're going to have a lot to say to one another. I like Alistair well enough as a character, although he's too goofy for me to take him seriously as a love interest. I was giggling the entire time I had my character romancing him, and I pretty much howled when the cut scene came. So, long story short, expect to see him soon - if not the next chapter, the one after that. To mille libri and Abydos Jackson, many thanks for your kind words. I always get this little grin whenever I see that you've read my latest update. Also, thanks to anyone who added my story to their favorites and alerts.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 7 - Silent Vigil

In Ser Hampton's mind, it was going to be a very dull day on watch. He knew he shouldn't have given Cook such a hard time, but gruel day in and day out was hardly a way to keep soldier's fit and strong. It certainly wasn't his fault that he had grown up near the Orlesian border, it just meant he preferred his food to not be slop.

Spotting movement on the road, he straightened up, sucking in his stomach and gripping his staff tighter. When the cloaked figure came close enough, he moved slightly into the path. "Halt," he said in his most important voice. "State your business at Vigil's Keep."

"I come to pick up supplies and find a bed for the night," the soft sounds of a faint Orlesian accent reached his ears, and he was astonished to see that it belonged to a woman. She looked up at him with a half smile on her face, one that spoke of exhaustion and a heartfelt wish that he not make it any harder on her than necessary.

Feeling his heart go out to her, he nodded and stepped aside. "Merchants straight ahead, inns to the right," he said gruffly, and watched as she moved in the direction he pointed. While not unheard of, it was rare for a woman to be traveling alone, especially an Orlesian in Ferelden. After a moment, though, he shrugged to himself and settled down to the side, letting his mind wander to the last home-cooked meal that he had eaten.

Leliana was grateful that the guard had not tried to pick a fight with her. She had never quite gotten used to the distrust Fereldens had for Orlesians even to this day, although she certainly understood it. Having been on the road since Highever, though, she was more than ready to spend one night in a warm bed, after a hot bath and an even hotter meal.

After obtaining a room at the inn, she quickly made her way to the market, wasting no time in picking up what she needed. She thought it unlikely that anyone here would recognize her, but kept her hood up regardless. She was not sure how many red haired Orlesian bards there were traveling in Ferelden, and some would surely raise their eyebrows if they could put two and two together to make four.

She didn't completely relax, though, until she returned to the inn and the maid told her the bath was ready. With a moan of relief, Leliana quickly dropped off her supplies and headed to the washroom, divesting herself of her leathers as fast as possible. A quick word with the maid, and the leathers were whisked away to be cleaned as best as possible, to be brought to her before first light. After the maid left, Leliana finished stripping down and gingerly stepped into the tub. Sinking into the hot waters was a moment of pure bliss.

"Maker preserve me," she said softly, leaning her head back.

_Leliana finally dragged herself out of the bath when her fingers and toes were thoroughly wrinkled, and proceeded to use the piece of linen provided to rub herself dry. She was grateful that Arl Eamon was a good host, as she was much more inclined to slip into the robe all the companions had been offered than her travel-stained leathers._

_A strong pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist, causing her to squeak and jump a bit. "Aedan!" she exclaimed, a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "How did you get in here? Finish your discussion with Riordan already?" She started to turn in his arms, to look him in the eyes._

_Aedan stopped her, holding her tighter and burying his face in her neck. Sensing something was wrong, she bit her lip to keep from talking, instead placing one hand on top of his while using the other to reach up and cup his cheek. They stood there like that, her cradled naked in his arms, silent but for the beating of their hearts and the soft whispers of their breath._

_"Do you love me, Leli?" _

_He had sounded so wistful, so lost that she had immediately forced him to let her turn around. Her glib response died on her lips when she saw the naked fear on his face, his eyes catching hers unashamed of his emotion. "Of course I do," she said softly. She searched his face for something, anything that would give her a hint as to what was going on. When he didn't give it to her, she gently shrugged herself free. Pulling on the robe, she secured it quickly before extending a hand to the man standing so forlornly in front of her. "Let us go to my room."_

_They walked, hand in hand, down the corridors to the room she had managed to get to herself. Closing the door firmly behind them, she steered her strangely compliant lover to the bed and made him sit. After a moment, she knelt, and started to remove his boots. When he reached down to do it himself, Leliana swatted his hands away. After a moment, Aedan leaned back again._

_"Morrigan left," he finally said, just as she started on the second boot. _

_Her fingers fumbled then, suddenly losing the dexterity that let her finesse the toughest locks and the craftiest traps. "Oh?" she managed to get out, struggling to return to her set task. Aedan simply watched her, and his numbness was starting to make her panic. She struggled not to give in to it. "When will she be coming back?"_

_He leaned his head back, looking up at the ceiling. "She's not coming back," he said, calmly. "She left, and she's never coming back."_

_Leliana finally removed the second boot. Setting it down next to the first, she then went to go sit on the bed with the warrior. After a moment, she pulled at his tunic, and without so much as a bit of fuss he practically collapsed into her lap. She stroked his fine hair, running it between her fingers. "But what about the Blight?" she finally asked, voice neutral. After all, the archdemon and its hordes of darkspawn were certainly their first priority._

_Aedan simply shook his head, a soft sigh escaping his lips._

_"What happened?" the bard asked, unable to keep quiet. She had to, there was so much at stake here. She felt her cheeks burn at the selfishness of her question, but since Marjolaine she had come to accept that while the Maker had saved her soul, he had not changed who she was, either. The man suffering in her lap was a large part of that, and she was terrified of losing him now._

_The silence stretched on, until Leliana thought she might start screaming, or crying, or tearing her hair out with frustration._

_Finally, Aedan shrugged. "She lied."_

_Leliana blinked. "She lied?"_

_"She lied," Aedan said again. _

_Suddenly, so fast he was almost a blur, he was up and on her, pushing her back against the bed. He was insistent, and needy, and after only a moment's resistance, a moment of wondering if this was really the best idea, her body screamed acceptance. It was hard, and fast, and in the end they both knew they would have bruises. But when Leliana forced his head up to look in his eyes, the haunting look had disappeared, leaving a tired acceptance mixed with endearing love in its wake._

_Aedan pulled her close, kissing her softly. "Thank you," he said with a small grin. "I needed that."_

_Struggling with herself, knowing that to ask may lead to answers she did not want, Leliana finally spoke. "Aedan, what happened?"_

_Aedan shook his head, and kissed her again. "She lied," he repeated. "And I forced her to deal with the consequences."_

_An icy hand gripped the bard's heart. "You didn't… I mean, she did… leave, right?"_

_It took him a moment to realize what she meant. "No, I didn't kill her," he finally said, with far less shock in his voice at her intimation than she would have preferred. _

_"Maybe I should have, but I didn't."_

_Much later, after they had left Redcliffe and all of their companions had exhausted themselves with their queries into Morrigan's whereabouts, she asked him again what had happened._

_He had been kind, but he refused to tell even her._

It hurt to know that when she got out of the tub, Aedan would not be there to surprise her.

Leliana finished cleaning her hair, rinsing out the soapsuds before standing up to exit. Carefully stepping out onto the stone, she quickly grabbed the thin linen the inn provided, drying off as best she could before slipping into her tunic.

As she reached for the door to head back to her room, a thought she had had many times before flitted through her mind. Even now, it still brought a smile to her lips.

How did Aedan always manage to sneak up on her right after a bath?


	8. Feisty

**Author's Note:** I have to say, I am having a _lot_ of fun writing this story. I've never written fanfiction for a video game before, let alone an RPG. I find the freedom it give you is almost overwhelming, and it's nice knowing that while there is canon for the fandom, it's much more fluid than that for a TV show or movie. Then again, I'm not much of one for your standard RPG - don't hurt me when I say I don't like the Final Fantasy games! Sorry, no Alistair in this one. This chapter was not planned, but I suddenly found this voice in my head that was saying very defiantly, and just a little bit seductively, "I need to be in this fanfic _somewhere_." So, there you have it. Definitely Alistair in the next, though. Hope you all enjoy this partial sidebar! To sova, interesting2125, Abydos Jackson, and mille libri, thank you so much for your support in this venture I've undertaken. It means a lot. Also, thanks to those of you who added this story to their favorites or alerts list.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 8 - Feisty

To say that Leliana passed through the gates to enter Denerim with trepidation was an understatement. After all, the last time she had passed this way, the city had been overrun with darkspawn, and when she had left again her very soul had been shattered. Try as she might to remember the good times in the city, it was as if each were covered in a film of blood and death and sorrow.

She struggled not to draw her cloak even tighter around her, noticing the alert guards that watched those passing with an eye for anything suspicious. Instead, she fell in a few steps behind a large family similarly dressed, and made her way towards the Market District.

Denerim's Market District was in the opposite direction of the palace, but now that she was in the city Leliana found herself hesitant to meet Alistair. The two sides warred in her head, until it seemed near to splitting, and she growled at herself. "I will go to Alistair," she muttered, ducking around the family she had used as cover, "in a bit."

As she entered the bustling marketplace, she was reminded of an old saying she had first heard from Marjolaine's lips. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger." The axiom seemed especially pertinent to this portion of the city. Where before there had been dingy stalls and dark corners, now it was filled with brightly decorated and appealing storefronts and light everywhere. The marketplace had changed much in the three years since the Battle of Denerim.

Leliana wandered about, gazing at the wares. She felt the tightness in her shoulders ease, and after a bit decided to duck into the Gnawed Noble Tavern for a drink. She sank into chair at a back table, and gratefully sipped at the ale the waitress was quick to bring her.

"I had not thought to run into such a beautiful woman here." The words, low and sultry and hot on her ear, seemed to cause no visual effect in the bard. Setting down her ale, she slowly turned her head until the speaker came into the periphery of her vision.

Dark eyes twinkled at her from a familiar face, lips twisted up in a wry smile.

_Scowling at Aedan, Morrigan stomped out of the Pearl, her disapproval seeming to bring the ambient temperature down several degrees. Rolling his eyes, the warrior followed her. "I wasn't being serious, Morrigan…"_

_The companions howled in laughter, Zevran leaning against the table while simultaneously holding Oghren upright. Even Wynne's disapproving gaze had softened at the tirade the witch had laid upon her paramour, and was trying to stifle a chuckle. Only Sten seemed unmoved, his gaze stern and implacable as he never strayed far from the entrance to the brothel._

_"That was fairly entertaining," Isabela said, wiping a tear from her eye. She had propositioned the warrior easily enough, and seemed to have taken the rejection in stride. If anything, she had laughed louder than them all. "Just for that, I will teach him what he wants to know, if that fishwife of his will let him set foot in here again."_

_Leliana smirked. She had found Morrigan's reaction amusing as well, although her stomach had clenched uncomfortably when it seemed Aedan might take up the beautiful sea captain on her offer. "Aedan wouldn't know what to do with your… style, anyway," she said. "He is much more likely to ram something into submission."_

_She shivered, then, as Isabela suddenly stepped into her space. "While a good ramming can get the job done," the captain said, her voice soft and intimate, "I find finesse and a quickness in the hands much more enjoyable." She grabbed at the bard's hand, her fingers quickly caressing the calluses and tendons before dropping it again. "Wouldn't you agree?"_

_Leliana found she could only nod, her stomach tight for entirely different reasons than before._

_Isabela brushed past the bard, lingering in her presence for as long as possible before moving towards the door that led to the back rooms. "If you're interested, I'm sure you will find me," the captain said softly, for Leliana's ears only._

_Leliana could only watch as Isabela walked away._

_"I hate to see her go," Zevran said, sidling up to stand next to the bard. He had left Alistair chatting nervously with the Pearl's madame, the templar blushing as he tried to ascertain exactly what happened behind the Pearl's closed doors. "But you must admit, it is very nice to watch her leave." He eyed Leliana then, noticing the blush that had dusted the tips of her ears pink. _

_She refused to look at him, simply staring at the opposite wall. "She is a very beautiful woman," Leliana finally admitted. "I have never had much interaction with a Rivaini before."_

_After a moment, Zevran risked a dagger in his gut to elbow the bard gently. "She would surely have many stories from her homeland to tell you, should you go to visit her," he said, amusement in his voice._

_Leliana shook her head "I could not, I mean, I don't do that anymore." Images of the Chantry in Lothering flitted through her mind, and she found her fists clenched._

_The elven assassin shrugged. "It is no sin to seek pleasure from life. If you cannot have what you want, why not have what is there for the taking? Our delectable captain is most certainly there for you to take." Without waiting for a response, he moved away, making a beeline for Wynne. "My darling Wynne, let us retire to a back room! I wish to discuss all the nefarious deeds I have committed in the safety of your warm embrace."_

"You can remove the tip of your dagger from my belly now, Leliana," Isabela teased, her light tone of voice belying the stillness of her body. The dagger had seemed to appear from nowhere, and was hidden from the rest of the patronage of the tavern by their bodies.

After a moment, Leliana lowered her hand from it's hidden position. She gestured wryly to the seat across from her. She had sensed the Rivaini almost to late to react, but was secretly pleased she had caught the light-footed captain at all.

"I am surprised to see you venture so far away from the docks and your ship," Leliana mused, picking up her ale once more to take a draught.

Isabela shrugged elegantly. She caught the eye of one of the waitresses, and with a small nod sent the girl running. "We pulled in to escape the sea storm brewing off of Alamar. As for being at the Gnawed Noble, I find the atmosphere here less… suggestive, than my normal haunts. It's refreshing sometimes to come for a drink and a drink alone." She smiled as the waitress came with her drink, winking at the girl.

"You say that so convincingly," the bard said with a hint of laughter in her voice. "And yet…" A wave of her hand at the blushing waitress, who's eyes kept coming back to the stunning Rivaini.

"It's just habit," the captain laughed. She leaned forward, grinning at the other woman. "But you are here! In Denerim! Last I knew you had disappeared, leaving all your companions behind to worry and wonder. I never thought to see you again."

Leliana stiffened. "You say that very convincingly as well," she said, hand drifting towards the hilt of her dagger again. "But you are not surprised that I am here."

If she had not been looking, the bard would not have caught the quick glance that was Isabela's only acknowledgement of the shifting mood. "I am not," she finally replied. "Or maybe, not surprised in the way you are imagining. It has been let around the city - only for a few set of ears, mind you - that a certain Orlesian might be making an appearance, and that if spotted the information should make its way to certain personages." Isabela leaned back into her chair, taking a long draught of her ale. "I have not reported on your presence, mind you. The bartender, on the other hand, sent a serving boy out the side door soon after you stepped in. I imagine you have only a bit of time left to disappear."

After a moment, the tension eased from Leliana. With a sigh, she drained the last of her ale and stood, placing a couple of bits on the table. "I suppose I should thank you for telling me at all," she said, giving the Rivaini a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

"I imagine I will not see you again," Isabela said, a strange expression on her face as she looked up at the Orlesian. "It was beyond good luck to have run into you now. Forgive me for wanting to chat for a moment first." She reached out, finger tracing the back of Leliana's hand. The bard jerked away, eyes flitting between the captain and the front door of the tavern.

"It was good to see you too," Leliana murmured, and was gone, blending in with the crowd in the tavern with an ease that surprised even the wily Rivaini.

Isabela could not even tell through which door she had left, which served her well when she was questioned not much later.


	9. Reunion

**Author's Note:** Hey! Sorry it took so long to update, I got side tracked playing Awakening (cut me some slack, I didn't pick the game up until recently, I'm allowed to be a bit behind everyone) and then another writing bug hit me, and I was having problems with this piece anyway. It was getting kind of unwieldy, so I'm splitting it up and throwing more flashbacks in. Yay improvisation! Anyway, hopefully it won't take so long for the next update. A big thanks to Abydos Jackson, interesting2125, Rachel(dot)Three, mille libri, and sova for your feedback, it is greatly appreciated and always helps to make my day brighter! Also, thanks to those of you who have added my story to your Favorites or Alerts. Some of you are even among my favorite authors in this community, and that gives me a bit of a thrill.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 9 - Reunion

King Alistair of Ferelden had barely entered his office and closed the door before he felt like there must be wool in his ears. Either that, or the stupid look that had crossed his companion's face was too distracting for him to have accurately heard what had just been said. Regardless, he felt he needed to get the information he had just been given correct before he threw the man out with the evening trash.

"Stop," he said, holding up one hand before bringing it to rub the bridge of his nose. "Let me get this straight. You had her, and you lost her? _Yesterday?_"

The man standing before the king shuffled from one foot to the next. "We didn't exactly have her, your majesty," he said tightly. "The barkeep told us she was there, and when we arrived she was not. I'm not even entirely certain she was there in the first place."

"Maker's breath, man," Alistair said testily. "Both the barkeep and Isabela confirmed it, right? Then she was there! Which means you lost her. Let's not forget, _yesterday._ Why am I only hearing about this now?" He turned around and headed towards the his desk, plopping down in the comfortable chair behind it with a sigh. "I don't know why I let Anora talk me into hiring you."

A look of restrained panic crossed the informant's face. "Your majesty, I have done everything in my power-"

"Yes, and you failed," the king said. "A mabari would've done a better job, and probably been cheaper too. Could've paid the mabari in leftovers. Why did I hire you again?" Alistair glared at the man. "Never mind, don't answer that. Just get out."

The informant bowed deeply, murmured his apologies and left the office quickly and silently. As soon as the door was shut, Alistair groaned and leaned back. "Should've hired a mabari."

"So why didn't you?" The sultry, low voice drifted across the room, causing the king of Ferelden to whirl out of his chair to face the intruder, trip over his own feet, and catch himself just before knocking himself unconscious on the edge of his desk.

_Alistair glared at the rest of the companions around the campfire. Wynne had already gone to her tent, and Sten was as removed from the rest as possible, but all the others were speechless with laughter as he stood in front of them, drenched head to toe in a slimy gray substance. The mabari hound stood in front of him, tail wagging and tongue hanging out._

_"It's not funny," the ex-templar whined, helplessly trying to wipe the sludge off of his tunic. Small blessings that he had not been wearing his gambeson as normal, but changed into a light tunic in deference to the warm summer night. "Stupid dog."_

_Aedan practically crawled to the dog, he was laughing so hard, and wrapped his arm around the hound's neck. "D-don't pick on my dog," he said through the chuckles, practically sobbing for air. "Maybe if you hadn't of tried to force him the stew we wouldn't eat, you wouldn't be wearing it." Aedan looked up at his fellow Warden, and started howling in laughter again, sending the rest of the companions into fits again._

"By the Maker, Leliana," he said with a wince, glaring at the redhead as she struggled not to laugh, appearing out of the shadowy corner of the room. "You just scared more years out of me than the Revered Mother did that time she caught me sneaking around the sister's sleeping rooms."

The bard could no longer hold it in, her clear laugh pealing through the room. After a moment, Alistair joined her, until they were both wiping tears from their eyes. Without any reservation, he strode towards her, sweeping her up in a fierce hug.

"It's good to see you, life threatening or otherwise," the ex templar said, finally loosening his hold. "It feels like I've been waiting for forever for you to get here. I didn't know when you'd arrive."

Leliana raised one russet eyebrow at him. "It seems you were impatient enough to have spies looking for me upon my entrance into your city. Afraid of what I might do?" Despite the question, there was no malice in her voice. She had an idea as to who was really behind the eyes and ears about Denerim.

Alistair cringed, scratching the back of his head ruefully. "It was Anora's idea," he finally confessed with a sheepish grin. "I didn't think it was really necessary, but she wanted to make sure you came here before talking to anyone else. I _told _her it wasn't necessary, since you didn't _know_ anything yet, but you know how she gets."

Suspicion confirmed, Leliana shrugged. "She is Queen. I have heard it tends to make one a bit paranoid. For good reason," she added, mind drifting to the nobles of Orlais and the customs she had heard from the other regions of Thedas. "A dose of paranoia can be quite healthy for one in power."

"Then it's a good thing she's the one running the show, right?" the king said with a cheeky grin. "Because I've got not one bit of paranoia in me."

The bard smirked at him. "That is because you have not one bit of common sense, Your Majesty."

_"No," Morrigan said flatly, glaring at Alistair with the venom in her eye she kept specially for him. "I will have naught to do with this ill-laid scheme of yours. It'd be best if you forgot the whole nonsense." Without another word, the witch turned and stomped away, disappearing into the woods outside of camp._

_"Well that went over as well as a genlock in a hen house," Alistair said mournfully, turning to sit back by the fire. Leliana was on watch with him, the rest having disappeared for the evening. She waved him to a seat next to her. "Although I can't say I'm surprised. That witch is _mean_."_

_"She is not, how you say, you're biggest fan, no?" the bard asked with a small grin. "Why would you ask in the first place?"_

_Alistair leaned back, looking up at the stars. "Because Wynne already said no, although I managed to get her to promise not to say anything. I figured Morrigan was probably my next best guess, although the chances of her saying yes were only slightly better than me becoming the next Divine in Orlais."_

_Leliana gave a small chuckle. "What would you need one of the mages to do?"_

_Grinning sheepishly back at her, Alistair shrugged one shoulder. "How else am I supposed to go about dying Aedan's clothes pink? _I_ certainly don't know how."_

Alistair glared at her, looking less like an irritated king and more like a child whose toy just got thrown out. "What's with the whole 'Your Majesty' thing? I mean, we're friends like? Come on, let's be friends. I'll even share my cheese with you."

Leliana laughed again, and patted Alistair on the arm. "Alright, _mon ami_, I will refrain from such titles when it is just the two of us. Only when it is just the two of us."

The king gave a happy bob of his head. "Sounds like a plan. Speaking of plans," he continued, doing his best to look wily. "You are planning on staying for the night, right? Not just going to run off as soon as I tell you what's going on? Because I'll hold the information for ransom! I'm sneaky like that. Not sneaky witch-thief sneaky, but I can sneak! Just watch me!"

Leaning back a bit, the bard studied the man before her. Alistair had aged in the years since she had seen him last. There were faint lines around his eyes, and while some seemed to be from laughter there were others that spoke of the burdens he faced in his position. He still seemed fit, although there was a distinct slackness to his skin that bespoke too little time in the yards with his sword and the sun. His eyes still sparkled with child-like glee, though, and if his laughs were sometimes forced he still seemed little worse for the wear. There was a longing, though, in his body language that told Leliana he had too few friends that he trusted, and was desperate for time with one of his old companions.

"Just the night," she finally said with a smile. "I hope you don't have some big affair planned, though. I have left my best shoes back in Orlais."

Alistair roared with laughter, and swept her up in a hug again, swinging her around in a circle before setting her down. "It'll just be you, me and Anora," he said happily. "And I won't let her talk about anything until after dinner. Well," he added hastily. "I'll probably let her talk about how awesome I am. That's always allowed."

"Of course," Leliana replied. "Dinner is always an excellent time to talk of flights of fancy."

_Aedan was sitting near the road, once again pulling watch when it wasn't his turn. The other's had tried to dissuade him, citing need for sleep and lack of alertness on the field. But he had yet to show either, and steadfastly refused to even mention how his bed was empty as of late. No one wanted to hurt him by asking questions, and no one was stupid enough to talk to Morrigan. Or maybe no one cared to see if she hurt too._

_The bard was exhausted. She had been sleeping badly ever since they had left the Urn, her mind constantly forcing her to confront the Guardian's words. In her waking moments she remained steadfast, but sleep tormented her with doubts. Which meant, unfortunately, that as exhausted as she was, there was no desire for her to escape to the fade that night. Instead, she walked over to the warrior, sitting down at the foot of the tree he leaned against._

_Aedan looked at her, not saying a word. She decided to remain silent as well, instead only offering the apple she held in her hand. After a moment, he took it from her, a silent concession to his missing dinner that night in his search for solitude. They stayed that way for a while, him slowly crunching into the apple as she leaned against the wide trunk, eyes fixed on the stars._

_"I wonder," the Warden finally said, his voice softly breaking the night. "What it would have been like if I had never left HIghever. If Howe had never come." With a sigh, he sank to the ground next to her, settling him sword and shield on the ground within easy reach. His knee casually brushed against her own, and she could feel the heat it caused rush through her body._

_A slew of thoughts rushed through Leliana's mind. If Aedan had never left Highever, Alistair would have probably died in Ostagar. Sten would have starved, eventually, or been torn apart by the darkspawn. Zevran would still be a Crow, trapped in their world. Wynne would most likely have died in the Circle._

_If he had stayed in Highever, he never would have met Morrigan. But then, of course, Leliana would never have met him either._

_She chose to voice none of her thoughts, instead just sharing warmth through a knee casually touched, solemnly staring into the night with him by her side._


	10. Oaths

**Author's Note:** Drumroll please - we're finally here! The reason behind it all. Hope you all enjoy. I wasn't trying to draw the suspense out, but when I come to a spot in my writing that just says breaking point, I put the breaking point. I tried to mash this chapter and the previous together, and it ended up feeling very _wrong_. So, sorry for the long wait, but here you go! As always, thanks to my reviewers Lehni, Abydos Jackson, interesting2125, Rachel(dot)Three and mille libri for taking the time out of your day to read and comment on my work. It means the world to me, guys ^.^ Also, thanks to those who have added my story to their Alerts or Favorites. Any feedback is as always appreciated.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 10 - Oaths

"Alistair!" Anora snapped, glaring across the table at her husband. "Enough with the cheese."

The King of Ferelden grinned sheepishly, threw another handful of the sharp Orlesian cheese into his bowl of soup, and settled back again. "There is no such thing as enough cheese," he said, winking with exaggeration at Leliana.

The three were seated in a small dining room, reserved for private meals with the king and queen. While the table could easily seat ten, a reminder of the more fertile rulers of the past, it did not feel out of place for the three of them to sit at one end. It was cozy, in a sense, the bard finally decided. Even better, the servants were dismissed in-between serving the courses, so they were able to converse a bit more freely. Taking a sip of her soup, Leliana was pleased to find that there was at least one person in Ferelden who knew their way around the kitchen.

The chat that evening had been light so far, although they were only into the second course. Throughout it, Anora continued to snipe at Alistair whenever she spoke to him, and while reminiscent of Morrigan it had a distinct lack of bite. In kind, Alistair's teasing remarks were said with a hint of fondness in his voice.

They loved each other, apparently. It was not passionate, or not visibly so, but at the very least they were companions. It eased Leliana a bit, to see that Alistair was not quite as alone as she had feared.

"Leliana," Anora said, leaning back slightly as a servant appeared to whisk away the empty bowl and replace it with a salad that seemed more for decoration than for eating. "I need to discuss something of vital importance with you. I think you may be the only one who can help."

The bard blinked, surprised that the queen would chose to bring this conversation up now. Even hinting to it in front of servants seemed so unlike the woman. "I will do my best," she responded, her voice light.

Alistair rolled his eyes. "You said you wouldn't ask this now, Anora."

"But I must know," the queen responded tersely. "An oaf like you wouldn't understand. No one expects you to follow fashion. They would laugh at you behind your back if you did. Of course, being you, they might laugh to your face."

Brow crinkling, Leliana looked between the two. "Fashion?" she asked.

Anora nodded. "I'm expecting a delegation of nobles from Orlais, Nevarra and a few of the Free Marches city-states. As the host, I must present myself appropriately. I know I shall never be able to outdo you Orlesians, but I would like very much not to be seen as a country bumpkin. I had thought, since you were in Val Royeaux so recently…?"

After a moment, Leliana burst out laughing. "I'm sorry," she said when she managed to corral her mirth, grateful that the queen seemed more frustrated than angry with her reaction. "I would be delighted to tell you all about the fashions in Val Royeaux."

_"Shoes?" Aedan asked, raising an eyebrow as he grinned down at the bard. They were traveling to Denerim, skirting the edges of the Brecilian Forest, to track down a Chantry brother named Genitivi. The two had fallen in step, Alistair and Morrigan bickering in the back on templars and the CIrcle of Magi and Flemeth and pretty much all the normal things. It was amusing to all that the two seemed drawn to fighting with each other. Leliana might have thought there was something there, if the mention of it to the ex-templar hadn't turned the man green. If Morrigan had not been so obviously taken, in her own way, with Aedan._

_"Shoes," Leliana confirmed, looking down forlornly at the functional but drab leather boots on her feet._

_"You're weird," he finally exclaimed, locking his hands behind his head as he looked up at the sky. "And such a contradiction."_

_Startled, the bard turned to look at him. "Oh?" she finally said, barely managing to keep the worry out of her voice._

_"You fight very well, yet you spout the platitudes of the Chantry with actual belief in your words," he responded evenly. "You talk of high fashion and moving in upper circles, yet you lived in relative poverty and chose to be there. I'm not sure how to explain it. I feel like you have two sides, both belonging to the same coin, and you use both to hide who is at the center."_

_Leliana walked quietly beside him for a moment, rolling his words about in her mind. "So," she finally said, her tone sly. "Am I a bit or a silver?"_

_Looking down at her, Aedan laughed, his eyes crinkling in delight. "A sovereign," he said cheerily. "After all, how else will you afford those ridiculous shoes?"_

Leliana leaned back, gently blowing on her tea. The meal had flown by in pleasant chatter, and the bard had found herself genuinely liking the sharp-tongued and witty queen. Alistair needed a firmer hand, she decided, or else he would never manage to be serious about anything. After all, he had managed to make it through a Blight. Everything seemed less important in comparison.

Between one sip and the next, the weight of the silence in the room rushed in on Leliana, and she looked up to see her companions still. Sensing that the moment had arrived, she carefully set the china down, careful not to clink the cup and saucer together.

"You want me to find Morrigan," the bard said, throwing subtlety to the wind.

After a moment, Alistair turned to look at his wife. She looked up to meet his eyes, and then turned her gaze to Leliana. "Yes," Anora said. "We do."

Inwardly, Leliana was surprised by this. She had not expected Anora to be the driving force behind the missive. "Why?"

Alistair sighed. "You're not going to like this," he said, still refusing to look anywhere but at Anora but speaking to the bard.

"I gathered as much," Leliana responded. "Tell me anyway."

"I don't know what you may have heard in your travels," Anora started, reaching out a hand to Alistair. A quick squeeze, but it released his gaze, and turned to look into the distance. "I know you spent time in Denerim before coming here, I imagine you heard it there. About the Landsmeet."

Slowly, Leliana nodded.

"I won't do it," Alistair said, turning finally to meet the bard's eyes. "I swore an oath. I refuse to break it. The nobles of Ferelden made this bed for us to lie in, and they will have to deal with us remaining in it." He didn't mention that it had been Aedan who was the driving force behind it all, a fact all knew but were loathe to even allude to.

"But there must be an heir," Anora said. "We can't afford to have another civil war because there is none. I have spent almost nine years now in marriage, and have not once quickened with child. Alistair will not even take a mistress," the queen smiled at her husband then, "and I find I can not be the least bit upset by it. So Alistair will have to name someone."

"One of the nobles?" Leliana asked. She was getting more confused by the moment. The conversation made sense, but she did not know how it tied in with her given mission.

Anora shook her head. "The only ones we truly trust are Fergus, Eamon and Teagan. Eamon is too old. Fergus is the only Cousland left, it would leave too large of a power gap in Highever, especially with the turmoil in Amaranthine."

"Teagan already told us no," Alistair said ruefully. "I _told_ him I hadn't had much luck with the whole 'I don't want to be king' thing, and he threatened to run off into the Wilds to live with the Chasind if I tried to force him."

"We are thinking naming a child would be best," Anora said, hesitantly, and suddenly the King and Queen of Ferelden seemed as if they were both terribly, terribly guilty.

Something was hammering at the back of her mind, screaming at her that the answer was obvious, of course. Try as she might, though, Leliana was still drawing a blank. She looked at the two of them

_oh Maker no please that can't be what they're thinking it couldn't be possible_

and the color drained from her face.

"Leliana?" Alistair asked, leaning forward in concern. "Are you alright?"

Slowly turning her head, feeling as if the bones in her neck were grinding glass, she pinned him with her eyes. "Find Morrigan?" she managed to say, her voice achingly loud and desperately soft to her own ears. "_Why_?"

"Because," Alistair responded instantly, his face steeled for whatever would come. "She was traveling through the Frostback Mountains three years ago, heavy with Aedan's child."

_"When you put it that way," Aedan said, his eyes flashing in the campfire light. "How can I say no?"_

_Leliana could not help the feeling of warmth that exploded in her chest. He would come with her, after it was all over, and they would travel. To Nevarra, and Antiva, and Rivain, maybe even cross the oceans. Anything was possible. She said something, although by the Maker she had no idea what._

_He kissed her then, and as she kissed him back her heart soared._


	11. One Archdemon Short

**Author's Note:** I've had too many changes to the storyline so far to be able to say this with any sort of accuracy, but I _think_ this is approximately the halfway point of the story. I foresee more changes being made to what I have mapped out, but I do have a firm idea of the major plot points and ending, so don't worry about this getting all out of hand or anything :) Once again, I greatly appreciate all of my reviewers. Thanks to sova, interesting2125, Abydos Jackson, Lehni and mille libri for your wonderful feedback, as always it totally made my day! To those of you who added this story to their Favorites or Alerts, thanks as well, always wonderful to know I have readers. I'm even going to say thank you to Appealtoreason, thanks for the belated warning on the Witch Hunt DLC. Glad to see you've at least clicked through my story ;P As always, all feedback is adored, appreciated and more than welcome, regardless of nature.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 11 - One Archdemon Short

"Are you insane?" Leliana asked angrily, getting to her feet. "Do you have any idea of what you're asking? Have you even thought it _through_?"

Alistair withdrew a bit, surprised at her response, but Anora held her ground.

"We're not crazy," the queen said quietly, her tone reminding the bard that this was not a conversation to be had at a noise level others could here. "I realize it is a bit of a stretch to have you try and track her down. We're not even sure it's possible." She turned to look at her husband.

Alistair had his head down, brow furrowed in contemplation. "I know it sounds strange," he finally said, looking up to meet Leliana's gaze. "But once Anora told me of taking a child ward, I immediately thought of Aedan's child. After that, I couldn't imagine having anyone else as my heir. It's just this silly, stupid idea that won't go away."

Leliana started to pace in tight circles, mind whirling. "So what is it you want me to do?" she finally responded, voice terse. "Go and kidnap this child? How do you even know it is Aedan's?"

"Kidnap?" Alistair replied, a look of horror on his face. "No! Maker, no. That hadn't even crossed my mind."

The queen got a strange look on her face, and she turned away from them. "It would be preferable if Morrigan would give the child up, but it is unlikely that anyone would be able to take the child from her by force. She is formidable, and unlike the Circle mages, she will fight." Anora spoke practically, as one who had thought things over much more thoroughly than her husband and had come to the same conclusion for entirely different reasons.

Alistair scratched the back of his neck. "As for it being Aedan's, we can't be entirely certain, but the information we received from when she was spotted matched the timeline for… well, from before the two of you got together."

Leliana returned to her seat, grabbing the goblet of wine and draining it. "So, you just want me to ask?" Leliana said incredulously, looking between the two. "You think it will work?"

Giving a helpless shrug, Alistair shot her one of his trademark grins. "Won't know unless we try." Leaning forward towards the bard, he grabbed her hand. "Look, Leliana, we know this is a hard thing we're asking of you. But this isn't just Morrigan's child, this is Aedan's too. I couldn't think of anyone else I would even want to try."

_Dripping wet, Leliana pulled herself out of the stream, lying down on the cloak she had spread out. Aedan eyed her from the water, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. It had been a long day, and they had escaped Orzammar as soon as possible, eager to head back towards the sky. When they had come across the stream not to far from a large clearing, Aedan had put his foot down and declared a rest until the morning._

_"Are you just going to look?" Leliana practically purred, tilting her head to study the warrior. The water ran deep, coming up to his waist, but his bare chest had tantalizing trails of water. She shivered with pleasure at the idea of licking the drops off of his skin, tracing the few scars with her tongue and hands._

_Orzammar had been difficult. The tensions in the dwarven city had kept them all on their toes, and the Deep Roads had been an exercise in maintaining sanity. The bard had almost lost her voice, telling stories to keep everyone's mind off of the walls closing in and horrors they found. Even Morrigan had been visibly shaken when they had come upon Hespith and the Broodmother. The entire time, Aedan and Leliana had decided that they could not afford to distract themselves, and in fact lost the desire to do more than hold each other at the camp each time they rested._

_Which all meant, of course, that as soon as they were free they had found it difficult to keep their hands off of each other._

_"I'm enjoying the view," Aedan said with a sly smile, raking his eyes over her body. He pulled himself out of the water finally, stretching out beside her. With one powerful pull he brought her body flush against his, and they spent a moment just breathing each other's air, enjoying the tingles running through their bodies. Slowly, they kissed._

_"Mmm," Aedan hummed, pulling away to look at her. With his free hand he brushed a damp strand of hair off of her face, tucking it behind the bard's ear. The hand followed the curve of her ear, slowly tracing down her neck to her shoulder and back. "You are gorgeous," he said, eyes sparkling._

_She scoffed, a small smile on her lips. "You're just saying that. You can't even tell in this terrible light."_

_He shook his head, hand continuing to trace the curves of her body. "I can tell. I can tell even when you're covered head to toe in dirt and gore that you are too beautiful for this lad."_

_She tried not to think of Morrigan, tried not to see the witch's glorious body in her mind. Leliana did not believe that she was unattractive, but Morrigan was both younger and more exotic in the bard's opinion. She feared that Aedan would always compare her to the other woman._

_"You're thinking of her, aren't you?" he suddenly asked, frowning at her slightly. "I can feel you tensing." Aedan pulled her closer, bending his head down to whisper in her ear. "Don't close me out," he said softly. "I can't even begin to imagine being with anyone else after you, know that. It's you I want to see before I close my eyes to sleep, and you I want to see when I open them again."_

_Leliana felt as if her chest would collapse in on itself, it felt so tight. "Oh, Aedan," she murmured, burying her head in his shoulder._

_His hand followed the curve of her hip, sliding between their bodies. She gasped as he touched, fingers deftly stroking her. Biting her lip, she tried to keep herself from moving, from making any noise. She was already wet, aching for him from the moment he had laid beside her._

_"Don't resist me, Leli," he said, slipping two fingers gently inside of her, careful that her body was ready to accept it. "Don't hide from me." His teeth closed on her ear as he slowly started to move his hand._

_She arched into the touch, hands clinging to him as if to pull him into her body. At his encouragement, she slowly loosed her control, moving against his hand and her lips eagerly searching his. When she came, her cry rang out, and as she looked at his face she knew neither of them cared who had heard. They were together, and the Maker take anyone who tried to separate them._

"How am I even supposed to find her?" Leliana asked, shoulder's slumped as she conceded defeat to the royal couple. "It has to have been almost three years since you heard word of her traveling while with child."

Alistair reached into his coin purse, pulling out a ring that sent chills through the bard. She knew that ring, had watched from a distance when Morrigan had given it to Aedan. She had never known what he had done with it when the two split, but it had never surfaced again.

"He gave it to you?" she asked quietly, staring at it.

He nodded, putting the rosewood ring on the table. "When he thought he might be falling in love with you, he gave it to me," the king said. "He explained to me exactly what it was, how it worked. He didn't want it anymore, but thought it too useful to get rid of."

"We sent word to Irving about it," Anora said, watching as Leliana reached out to pick it up. "He responded that it could most likely be altered to track Morrigan. He offered to try whenever it was brought to the tower."

Leliana studied the ring, watching as the whorls in the rosewood seemed to move to form shapes reminiscent of people and animals. "Morrigan's ring," she murmured.

Suddenly, the bard straightened, pocketing the ring. "Alright," she said firmly, looking at the couple. "I will do it. I will find her, and ask her to bring the child to Denerim. I can promise no more than that, I _will not_ take the child from her."

"That's all we ask," Alistair assured, standing. He reached down and hugged the bard quickly. "Thank you, Leliana. You must know what this means to me."

Leliana nodded. "You loved him as a brother. I understand." She turned her gaze to the queen, noticing how tense the woman was. She did not know what she thought of Anora raising Aedan's child. The queen may have smoothed some of her edges with Alistair, but she was still the same power-hungry woman from their first encounter. She could not imagine Morrigan and Anora both having an influence on the child.

Anora met Leliana's gaze calmly. "Thank you," the queen said, giving a small, tight smile.

_"You know," Leliana said teasingly as they readied for bed. "If you had played your cards right, you would be the one they are to crown king instead of Alistair." They were to stay in the castle, having forged their way onto the political landscape of the Landsmeet and won the battlefield. Alistair was drowning his sorrows with Oghren, something he would surely regret in the morning._

_Aedan laughed, rounding the bed to grab Leliana and pull her into an embrace. "Marry Anora? Are you daft? Do you _want_ to be a royal mistress?"_

_"I could think of worse fates," the bard responded with a smile, playfully pushing the warrior away._

_Aedan shook his head, returning to his pack to put away his gear. "You would not want to be the mistress to Anora's wife," he said. "I came with Father once to Denerim, not long after Cailan was crowned and married. Anora watched him like a hawk. Any woman he so much as smiled at suffered in one way or another."_

_"I could handle her," Leliana said with a sniff._

_"I am glad we won't be putting that to the test," he responded with a grin. "Let Alistair have the queen and the kingdom. I have the better end of the bargain."_


	12. Don't Know When

**Author's Note:** This one is short, sorry. I suppose it's more of an interlude than anything else. I had a hard time getting this out, too. If only life weren't - well, life, I would find it easier to get these out in the timeframe I'm aiming for. Ah well. Many thanks to Abydos Jackson, Rachel(dot)Three, Lehni, mille libri and sova for your wonderful reviews. As always, they light up my life! Thanks also to those who added my story to your Favorites of Alerts. You rock my world too!

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 12 - Don't Know When

Pulling on her boot, Leliana looked up at Alistair with a small smile on her lips. "I promise you, Your Majesty, that I do not need any more supplies. You've laden me with enough for a small army."

Alistair stood in the entryway, dressed in one of his nicer tunics and looking highly uncomfortable. "Are you sure? I think we could cram another potion or two into your pack."

The bard chuckled and stood, settling her gear and pack until everything sat comfortably. "It's fine. Thank you, though." She moved as if to give him a hug farewell, then stopped, aware that this was the King of Ferelden and she was - well, nobody.

"Oh, sod it," Alistair said, seeing her hesitation, and quickly engulfed her. "I'll hug you, and the gossipmongers can just deal." He pulled away, smile on his face but eyes sad. "I look forward to your return, Leliana."

Suddenly finding herself fighting tears, Leliana nodded. "As do I, Your Majesty. I hope that it will not be too long before I come back." She bowed, then, and walked away.

Stepping out of the palace, she tilted her head back, soaking in the early morning sun. It was beautiful out, although it would most likely become unbearably hot by midday. She moved forward, headed towards the gate.

"Leliana."

Hearing her voice called softly, the bard slowed, turning to see Queen Anora standing in the shade of a tree, watching her. She headed towards her, coming to a full stop some feet away and bowing politely. "Your Majesty."

Anora's eye ticked, the only sign that she was irritated with Leliana's refusal to be pulled in to a more intimate setting. "I want to thank you for what you are doing for Alistair."

Leliana's eyes narrowed slightly, and she smiled, her visage contradictory to the cool tone of her words. "Just for the King? But surely you have a noted interest in these going ons."

"I am no fool," Anora said tersely. "I do not expect you to succeed. Not that I fear you unable to find what you seek, but to work the situation to anyone's benefits would require the Maker's touch."

"Then why?" Leliana asked. "Why go through with it."

The queen sighed then, one hand tugging at her skirts as if to fix wrinkles that did not exist. "Because he wants to," she said finally. "It does no lasting harm to satisfy his desire, and gives me time to figure out a viable alternative." Boldly, Anora matched gazes with Leliana. "It does not matter in the end if you fail, and would quite possibly be the better outcome. There are many issues that would have to be faced should you succeed."

Leliana studied Anora, taking in every line in the queen's face and every twitch of her eyes. "I bid you _adieu_, Your Majesty," she said, bowing again, and left the queen underneath a tree, to watch as the bard disappeared out the gates.

It was all very complicated, Leliana decided as she headed towards Denerim's city gates. Anora was doing this to appease Alistair, despite the problems that would arise from Leliana's success. There were several that the bard could think of just off the top of her head, the most pressing being that Morrigan would likely accompany the child, and _that_ would be interesting to try and explain to the Landsmeet. But the queen had gone along with it anyway. It boded well for the future child ward, whoever it might be, that the queen could do something foolish for love.

_"Leli?"_

_She could hear Aedan's voice, could hear him rustling through the bushes and grasses as he tried to track her down. The last thing she wanted, however, was to see him. _

_Marjolaine was dead. _

_He had killed her. Leliana wasn't sure how she felt about that. On the one hand, her former mentor was a vile snake, waiting to catch her unawares and sink her teeth into Leliana again. The idea that she was dead and gone sent waves of relief through her. On the other hand, she had loved the older woman with her entire being. Leliana's entire world had centered on Marjolaine, and when that world had collapsed she had run and hidden in the cloister. She did not know how to live in a world without Marjolaine._

_He had killed her. Oh, how she wished that hadn't been the case. If only it had been one of the others, she could have forgiven them from taking it from her. Even though she was not certain that she could have killed Marjolaine herself. But he had been the one to land the fatal blow, although Marjolaine had forced his hand, striking at just the wrong time. She had been cleaved nearly in two. He had not even blinked, just ripped his sword free and watched the blood pool._

_He had killed her. And Leliana could not forgive him, because it made her love him that much more, when he was not hers. It hurt to see him saunter over to Morrigan's fire every night. He had taken away her love, despite how twisted and corrupted it was, and placed himself in its stead, untouchable. Leliana was quite sure it was going to drive her mad._

_"There you are," Aedan said, suddenly appearing at the foot of the tree where she had been hiding. He looked at her, huddled up on the cold ground, head resting on her knees while her arms wrapped tightly around her torso. She didn't look up at him, unwilling to show her red-stained eyes and tear-streaked face._

_"I can understand if you don't want to talk about it just yet," he said softly, sinking down to the ground beside her. "But I'm here for you."_

_She could feel the heat pouring off of his body, could feel the concern pulsing off of him in waves, and Leliana couldn't resist anymore. She threw herself into his arms, body shaking with silent sobs, tears coming once more to soak into his tunic. He held her tightly, rubbing her back with one hand and making soothing noises._

_When she woke the next morning, tucked into her own bedroll, she could still smell his scent._

Leliana walked down the Imperial Highway, Denerim to her back. Last time she had left, she had been shattered, not thinking she would live another week. This time, she left in much better spirits, embracing her roll and enjoying life on the road again.

It did not bother her much that she felt she would never be back again.


	13. One Ring

**Author's Note:** So, one thing I think I may have figured out. Actually, two things. One, I write best (or, more realistically, I simply write) when I'm tired right after work. Apparently, something about my eyes almost crossing and the words being blurred makes it easier for me to get the idea out and onto the screen. Maybe it's because I'm only capable of focusing on one thing - cuts down on my ability to notice distractions. Second, if I have a random plotbunny running around in my head, I must listen to it. If I try and ignore, all writing suffers, and nothing gets done. Lessons learned. Many thanks to mille libri, Abydos Jackson and Lehni for their wonderful reviews. I pay attention to what you write, and take it (somewhat) into account for the story, so please continue to tell me what you think! It means the world to me. Also, thanks to those who added the story to their Alerts and Favorites. I, of course, adore you too. And, hey! I figure it's about time to give a shout out to all my silent readers. I don't know you, I can't track you down, but I see my traffic numbers go up every time I post, so I know you're out there. Thank you very much for sticking with the story.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 13 - One Ring

Still feeling a bit green from the boat ride over, Leliana smiled politely at Cullen as he chatted to her on the trip through the lower levels of the Circle Tower. She was surprised he remembered her, as the one and only time they had met he was somewhat out of his mind, but he had greeted her cheerily upon her arrival and been more than willing to escort her to the First Enchanter's study.

"It's nice to talk to someone and not have to worry about whether or not they want to kill you," the templar said as they came to a stop before the closed door tot he study. "It gets tiring to have to keep your hand near your sword hilt all the time."

On the other hand, she mused, maybe he was still not quite sane, and that was why he remembered.

"Come in," Irving called when Cullen knocked on the door.

The templar opened it, bowing her in slightly. "I'll be here if you need me, just call," he said to her quietly, his face hard once more. He nodded stiffly to the First Enchanter and closed the door again.

Irving stood up from his desk, wincing slightly as he moved slowly from around it to come forward and grasp her hand warmly. "It is Leliana, right? A pleasure to see you again, my dear."

"And you, First Enchanter," she replied, smiling at the old man. He had aged much since she had seen him last, his once iron gray hair now white, brow heavily wrinkled to give him a sleepy look. His eyes still twinkled with life, though, and he moved through any stiffness his joints may have given him. "I trust you are well?"

"As can be. The apprentices do their best to run me ragged, and the senior enchanters do their best to drive me to drink. But please, sit. You look like you have traveled long this day."

She had pushed herself since leaving Denerim, stopping for the night only when she could no longer see the road in front of her and rising again when the sun had barely crested the horizon. Leliana had no idea where her journey would take her, and the idea that Morrigan had three years on her was somewhat daunting. The only thing Leliana could say with any sort of certainty was that it was unlikely the woman had found shelter with the qunari, but beyond that it was anyone's guess.

The bard sat down gratefully in the worn whitewood chair across from his desk, the arms rubbed smooth from countless nervous apprentices' hands gripping them. He joined her in the companion chair, pouring a cup of tea from the pot on the corner.

"Thank you," she said with a murmur, taking a sip of the mint and elfroot concoction. She immediately felt her lingering queasiness fade.

"I take it you are here from their majesties in Denerim?" he asked. "They did say they would be sending someone, but I had not figured it would take this long."

Leliana nodded. "I was away when they sent for me," she responded slowly, feeling out the words in her head. "It was some time before I received their message and traveled back to Ferelden."

"Ah," he said neutrally. "I take it they have you running all over the country. Make sure you do not wear yourself out, young lady. No need to run yourself into the ground."

She had to fight not to roll her eyes, a small smile on her lips. "Yes ser," she said cheekily. She blinked, then, suddenly reminded of Wynne. She wondered what had happened to her old companion.

_"I would like to speak with you, Leliana, if you have a moment."_

_Pulled out of her contemplation, the bard looked up from the path to see Wynne had fallen into step with her. Brow wrinkled slightly in confusion, she nodded._

_"I feel as if I need to apologize to you," the mage said, voice quiet yet firm. "I'm not sure if Aedan informed you of our… conversation."_

_It clicked, then. Aedan had told her, one night as they had lain in their bedrolls, too tired to do anything yet too tired to sleep. He had been worried, because a part of him felt that Wynne had been right in her assessment. He had held Leliana close, and told her that he knew he could do his duty, but that if it meant hurting Leliana it would be the hardest thing he would ever do. She had thought long and hard about it, then told him that she would not be going anywhere, thank you very much, so they both could just live with it._

_"He did," she said, making sure to keep her emotion from leaking into her voice._

_Wynne sighed, running her hand over her hair. "I thought he might." She looked askance at the bard. "I do not want you to think that I have anything against you. I just… I worry. I worry that this war will require great sacrifice, and what that will mean for the both of you."_

_"We know that," the bard responded. "Either one of us could die at any moment. It does not mean we should stop living, stop loving. That would be a cold way to spend one's life."_

_"Aedan said pretty much the same thing," the mage responded wryly. "I forget, sometimes, in the world outside of the Tower of Magi people can find intense love and not lose it." Wynne gave a small chuckle. "It's not very often that I am forced to learn a lesson from those half my age."_

_"Lady Cecilie once said that she hoped to learn something new every day," Leliana mused._

_"A wise woman indeed." Wynne stopped walking suddenly, forcing Leliana to stop as well. "I believe Aedan when he tells me that his duty will come first._

_"But by the Maker, I hope he never has to choose between you. I fear the results would be too hard to bear."_

"I take it you brought the ring?"

Leliana nodded. Setting down her cup first, she reached into her coin purse, drawing out the ring. It felt strangely heavy in her hand. After a moment's hesitation, she passed it to the enchanter.

He studied the twisted rosewood ring intensely, looking for a moment like a little boy studying a bug. He stood, walking around his desk and pulling open one of the drawers. After a moment of rummaging about in it, he removed a small box. Irving opened it to reveal a circular piece of glass, tinted a pale blue, nestled in a bed of velvet. Using the glass, he peered at the ring again.

"Intriguing," Irving said as he twisted the ring about. "There are so many levels of enchantment on this ring, all tangled together. Much like a ball of yarn. Would you like to see?"

Leliana blinked at him. "I have no magic, ser," she said, confusion evident in her tone. "I am sure I would see nothing."

Irving laughed, motioning her to come to his side. "Just give it a try."

With a small shrug, Leliana stood and went to his side, gingerly taking the small glass from him. At his insistence, she bent over, putting the glass to her eye and looking at the ring.

The ring was a seething mass of lines, constantly twining and moving. She tried to trace several of them, only to lose the line within moments. "By the Maker," she breathed, entranced by the site.

"It is lyrium glass. It is very, very hard to make, so the dwarves and the Tranquil tell me. Something about the fragility of the glass and the slight hum of the lyrium. The last master of the craft in southern Thedas died some years ago. His apprentice knows the technique, but as of yet has not perfected the art. We can only hope he does so before the knowledge is lost forever. As such, finding an intact piece of lyrium glass is very rare indeed, and are one of the few material possessions one could actually consider priceless." The enchanter gave a half smile. "I only know of the existence of three outside of Tevinter."

Leliana could not keep from whistling in appreciation. "That is rare indeed. May I ask how the Fereldan Circle rates one?"

"You may ask, but I'm afraid even I do not know the answer," Irving said, placing it back. "There are no records on how it came to us, and we are loathe to let anyone know that we do, indeed, have one." He smiled at her again, eyes bright. "I trust you will not share this information?"

It was an enormous leap of faith the enchanter had taken, letting her see the glass and hoping she would not pass the information on. She nodded her ascent, however, and knew that there was little chance of her having the opportunity to profit from the information anyway.

"I will say this," Irving said as he sat back down again, ring resting in his palm. "Morrigan is a very talented mage, to be able to change the enchantments at all. Messing with the level of magic in this ring would be dangerous for anyone, and to do it without the aid of a lyrium glass denotes one of great skill. She must have spent many years studying the ring to get a grasp of the intricacies there."

"Can you change it?" Leliana asked quietly, eyes drawn to his hand. "Can you make it so I can track her with it?"

"Of course," he responded. "It will be difficult, but I imagine with Owain's help we can track down the changes Morrigan made to the spell her mother placed on it and remove them. If we start shortly, I imagine it could be done before you leave us tomorrow morning. Of course, you are welcome to stay in the Tower. We have a spare enchanter's room at the moment, and you may eat with us or take food in your room."

"I- thank you," the bard said, giving him a grateful smile. She had not been thrilled with staying at the Spoiled Princess. It smelled of spoiled alcohol.

He reached out and patted her shoulder. "Of course, my dear. After all that you and your former companions did for the Circle, it is the _least_ we can do."

_"I just wanted you to know how hurt I am."_

_Leliana turned to look at Aedan. She raised one eyebrow at him. "Are you injured? We haven't been in any fights since we left the Tower, so I do not know how that could be so."_

_Aedan gave a gusty sigh. "No, Leliana, that's not what I'm talking about. I'm hurt you forgot me."_

_"Excuse me?" she asked, head tilting to one side. "I have never forgotten you."_

_He nodded emphatically, a wounded look on his face. It made him look like a child, and Leliana had to restrain herself from pinching his scruffy cheek. "When we were in the Fade. You didn't know who I was." He sighed again. "I'm hurt, you know."_

_"I-I'm sorry," the bard stammered, eyes widening. "I don't know how I could have forgotten you. I just remember being back in the Chantry, and feeling safe and warm and taken care of, and then I was aware and there was a demon!"_

_He laughed at her consternation, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. "It's alright, Leli," he said with a grin. "If Alistair could make up a sister, and Wynne… well, yeah. Don't worry about it, I'm just teasing."_

_She watched him wander away from her again, pulling up next to Alistair and starting up a conversation. She could hazard a guess as to why she had forgotten Aedan while in the Fade. He represented everything she had run away from, everything she had tried to deny she needed in life._

_There was no place for adventure, danger, intrigue, or love in the Chantry's cloister._


	14. Freedom

**Author's Note:** What a hectic week it's been! It's only going to get better from here, too. Such is life. Keeping this author's note short and sweet. As always, a thousand thanks to my reviewers: mille libri, Lehni, interesting2125, and Abydos Jackson. You guys rock the casbah. Also, thanks to those who added this story to their Alerts or Favorites. You are amazing as well!

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 14 - Freedom

Leliana waved goodbye to the group of young apprentices as they finally left the dining hall, herded by one of the senior enchanters. One of the young children had overheard an enchanter say she was a storyteller, and soon the bard had been besieged by a half dozen apprentices, all bright eyed and eager to hear of the world outside. As she watched them chatting eagerly amongst themselves, she wondered how many had been at the tower three years prior. She did not recognize any of the children, but some must have been here during the entire ordeal with Uldred.

Children were unusual creatures. Surprisingly resilient to the horrors that often would fell their elders, capable of adapting to situations with ease. The scars they carried could run very deep, however, and often hidden for many years. She hoped that, of those forced to witness the atrocities of the abominations, none were irrevocably damaged.

"At you as soon as dawn came, I imagine," came the First Enchanter's voice from behind, causing her to start. She mentally scolded herself for allowing him to come that close without noticing, but for all his stiffness Irving moved like a cat. Perhaps it was the thick stockings with soft leather slippers he wore, instead of boots. "I'm afraid that our library is sadly lacking in fairy tales, and most enchanter's don't have many stories that aren't related to the Tower. They must have been thrilled to have you regale them."

"They drank up every word," she replied with a smile. "I seldom have an audience that wishes to participate in the story as much as they did."

Irving chuckled, and sat down next to her. "If given an inch I'm sure they would've added some sparks." He reached into his robes, and after a moment of fishing pulled out the rosewood ring. After gazing at it a moment, he placed it on the table in front of Leliana. "It is done."

Slowly, as if she were moving through molasses, Leliana reached out and picked it up, studying the ring. It seemed exactly the same, yet felt different. Less friendly, almost. Maybe whatever bit of Aedan Morrigan had used in the spell was now gone.

She didn't hesitate to put the ring on. "How does it work?"

The enchanter gave a small sigh. "I do not know how well you will be able to work it. For a mage, it would be simple. Have you ever studied meditation?"

"Oh yes," Leliana replied, her tone matter-of-fact. "I have found myself in situations where I have needed it before."

_A last kick to her ribs, and the guards exited her cell, leaving her lying on the floor naked and bleeding. Cold seeping into every bone, making her ache. Hearing the screams of other prisoners, far away. The light, a torch near the dungeon door, suddenly extinguished. Pure, unadulterated darkness._

"Ah," Irving said, relaxing slightly. "That is good. It will make this much easier for you, I imagine."

"Indeed."

_She grew to love the darkness, the quiet, the absoluteness of it all. It was when she heard boots, heard the cruel laughs, saw the flickers of light that she panicked, throwing herself into the corner of the dungeon, splitting skin in her desperation to sink into the stone._

She put the ring on, sliding it over her middle finger on her left hand. It was slightly loose, and Leliana wondered how Morrigan and Aedan had both worn it. The witch's hands were by no means large, while Aedan's had been proportionate to his size. After a moment, she unhooked the silver sword of mercy amulet from around her neck, sliding the charm off and replacing it with the rosewood ring. Her chest tightened as she put the charm in her pack, aching at the loss of it's familiar weight.

"If you clear your mind for long enough, and focus on the ring, you should be able to sense Morrigan," Irving said, watching Leliana with a knowing look in his eyes. "I do not know how long you will have to concentrate, nor how well it will work, but it should keep you traveling in the right direction." He gave a sigh. "I am sorry I can't help you more than that."

"Oh no," Leliana protested. "You have done enough, Irving. I can't begin to say how much this means." She tried to make her smile convincing, but she could tell he was not fooled. "This will make make my travels that much shorter, I am sure, which I am truly grateful for."

After a moment, he nodded. "Do you need any supplies? If Owain does not have what you need, I'm sure the quartermaster can help you."

She shook her head, rising to her feet. "I plan on resupplying in Redcliffe or Orzammar, depending on where the ring takes me. I should be on my way."

Irving pushed himself into an upright position. "Of course. I'll escort you out."

They walked out of the dining hall, Leliana checking her step to keep time with the old enchanter. "Tell me, have you heard from Wynne? I seem to remember her planning on staying in Denerim for a time, but I did not see her there and the king said nothing of what had happened to her."

Irving hummed slightly, his eyes gazing as if into the distance. "She stayed for a little less than a year, or so I'm told. One day, she packed her things and left. To travel. I believe she wished to spend the rest of her time seeing the world. All I can say is that to the best of my knowledge, no templars were sent after her."

"That's good," Leliana replied. "I am sure she is proving a fine representative of the Circle wherever she has gone to."

"Of that, my dear, I have no doubt."

_When the guards came to get her, she had cowered in the corner, unable to scream anymore. Her voice had disappeared some days prior, and she did not know if it were ever coming back. She hadn't even put up a fight, simply gone limp in their rough hands as they hauled her out of the hole they had left her in. Her feet dragged across the rough stone, and she did not even cry out when the skin was stripped and she started to bleed. Her mind was blank, which was a small blessing, as imagining whatever torture was to come would surely have undone her._

_When she had been thrown in the new cell, the light streaming through a grate above had sprung tears instantly to her eyes. They had thrown her to the ground and left, a few errant blows the only assault she suffered. Lying there, tears came to her eyes again, and her body shook as sobs of relief ran through her. Leliana had no idea how long it had been since she had been captured, how long she had been tortured in this dark place. The light wounded her, a sense of the outside that the little bit of sanity she had remaining told her was no longer within her reach. Yet it healed her, because for the first time since this nightmare had begun, she knew that the world had not ended. There was still light, somewhere out in the world._

Taking a deep breath, Leliana got back in the skiff, steeling herself for the nausea that would come. As Kester pushed away from the dock, she watched the Tower. It was strange, but in a way she felt on this she agreed with Morrigan. It was a gilded cage, and while the witch may have felt nothing but scorn for those inside, Leliana was struck with pity.

TIlting her head back, basking in the warmth of the day, she was grateful that at least they had windows with which to see the sunlight.


	15. Forbidden Fruit

**Author's Note:** This chapter was not quite what I expected to write when I sat down, but it's what came out. A bit shorter of a post than I would like, but trying to stuff extra in just didn't feel right. There you have it. On another note, just as an FYI, I am going to _attempt_ to do NaNoWriMo this year, and as such I have no idea how much writing will get done on this story during November. I'll try to keep working on it, but updates may get a bit more erratic than usual. Or, as tends to happen, I could get frustrated and just drop my nano project, and then it will be business as usual. As always, I give my heartfelt thanks to my reviewers. interesting2125, Lehni, mille libri, Asha'man X and Abydos Jackson, you guys are all amazing. Also, thanks to those who added my story to their Alerts or Favorites.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 15 - Forbidden Fruit

She walked along the lake, spurning the Imperial Highway as she made her way from Lake Calenhad Docks into the wilderness beyond. The roads were not so busy at the moment, but she needed to find a place that was calm. One hand worried at the ring held on the chain around her neck. It felt like an anchor, meant to drag her to the bottom of the sea. It was not a pleasant sensation.

After about an hour, she wandered upon a giant apple tree, the shade underneath practically a solid entity. The apples were not quite ripe, unfortunately, her mouth watering at the idea of the crisp fruit. She paused underneath, gazing out over the calm waters of the lake, and decided that this was probably the best location she would find to fit her needs.

Dropping her pack, she settled down on the ground, leaning against the tree. She took the chain from around her neck, removing the rosewood ring and placing it on her finger. Twisting it around her finger, she gazed at the glints of sunlight in the water, and slowly emptied her mind, embracing the quiet around her and pulling it inside.

_"I have a game for you, my sweet," Marjolaine purred, walking in front of her pupil with a swagger to her hips. "Or rather, a challenge."_

_"Oh?" Leliana replied, her young eyes gleaming as she gazed upon her bardmaster. "I like games."_

_Marjolaine threw her head back and laughed, the sound light and mischievous and full of life. "Of course you do, Leliana. Of course you do." She threaded her way through the crowd, reaching the very edge of the market at Val Royeaux. The alienage gates, the only reason the overcrowded market had not expanded further, towered over them. The guard in front of the gate eyed the two women dressed fashionable - but not too noticeable - clothing, but deemed them of little interest._

_"The goal is simple," Marjolaine said. "We race back to the manor. Whomever takes less time, wins."_

_Eyeing the crowd before them, it was obvious to the apprentice that it would not be entirely dependent upon who was faster. The ability to weave effortlessly through a crowd was one that Leliana had mastered early, but she was still not quite as good as her mentor. "You'll win," she said evenly, no frustration in her voice. After all, Marjolaine always won._

_"Ah!" the woman exclaimed, a twinkle in her eye. "But, my darling girl, there is a way for you too buy back your time. For every unique item you manage to steal unnoticed, you regain one hundred counts. Buy back enough time, and you will have finished with less time, yes? Then you shall win."_

_Leliana smiled broadly, the excitement in her bubbling to the surface. She had managed to get Marjolaine to admit months ago that the young girl had an unusual talent for theft and lock-picking. She might actually stand a change. "What is my prize?"_

_Marjolaine leaned forward, then, her lips stoping a hairsbreadth from Leliana's. "Whatever you desire, my sweet," she burred, eyes smoldering into the girl's. Suddenly, she whirled away, and dashed into the crowd, her laughter ringing in the air._

_When the young apprentice finally arrived at the manor, face red from exertion, she found Marjolaine leaning against the postern. "What's the count?"_

_"486," the bard responded._

_With a grin of triumph, Leliana reached into her belt pouch. First came the kerchief, made of the finest Orlesian silks and handsomely embroidered. A grocery list followed, the vellum ragged from having been scraped often. A heavy silver ring, tarnished with age, came after that. Finally, a wooden horse, barely as big as her thumbnail, was placed in Marjolaine's palm._

_"That's four," Marjolaine said. "I believe that still puts me ahead."_

_Her grin widening, Leliana reached into her hair, pulling out an intricately made ivory hairpin, the end carved with miniature horses leaping out of waves. "That," she said, impulsively reaching out and carefully placing it in Marjolaine's hair, "I believe, places me in first." The ivory shone against the dark brown locks, and Leliana swore she had never seen a more beautiful woman in her life. "Do I get to claim my prize?"_

_"What would that be?" the bard asked, her lip twitching in amusement._

_Confidently, Leliana stepped into the older woman's space, pulling Marjolaine against her body. "A kiss," she murmured, one hand reaching to touch the older woman's cheek. She leaned forward, intent on claiming her spoils._

_"Ah," Marjolaine breathed, and the steel in her voice stopped Leliana cold. "Alas, my sweet, you did not win." Extricating herself, the older woman reached into her pouch and pulled out an apple. "I did not say you were the only one who could buy back time." Taking a bite of the fruit, Marjolaine turned and walked towards the manor doors, leaving her apprentice standing in quiet frustration._

_After all, Marjolaine always won._

Slowly, Leliana opened her eyes, wincing as her body protested remaining still for so long. The sun had traveled far across the sky, and what had been mid morning was now late afternoon. Cursing, she struggled to her feet.

She didn't hear the ring hit the ground, merely felt it fall from her finger. She looked down hurriedly, frantically searching the grass for the bit of wood. It took only a moment, but it felt like a lifetime, and with a sigh of relief she slid it onto the chain again.

The ring pulled her to the west. More specifically, southwest. Which meant, unfortunately, that she would not be taking the Imperial Highway, as she had hoped. If Morrigan lay outside of Ferelden, that meant taking the more inhospitable southern pass through the Frostback Mountains.

With a sigh, Leliana lifted her pack back onto her shoulders, and headed towards the highway in the distance, away from the lakeshore. She would try again at Redcliffe, when she picked up supplies. Maybe the witch would move again, and she would not have to venture through the mountains at all.

Putting it firmly out of her mind, Leliana moved on. She wished she had an orange to eat as she walked.


	16. A Room With A View

**Author's Note:** Well, here you have it! Next update. I am starting to see the end in sight, it's getting closer, and I'm getting kind of excited. I'm really excited to write the next chapter, because I get to finally write about a location that isn't one you get to visit in the game again (man, it's been a long time since I mentioned Jader and Val Royeaux). As always, a thousand thanks to my reviewers Lehni, interesting2125 and mille libri. You guys light up my life. To those who added my story to their Favorites or Alerts, thank you as well. And a very special thank you to Snafu1000 for adding my story to the community The Amaranthine Archives. I am truly honored.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 16 - A Room With A View

She had done it again. A few choice curses slipped her lips, and Leliana wondered when she would finally be able to stop sleeping with her eyes open. Literally.

Sitting up, she reached up to gently rub, sighing in relief as tears welled up to coat her eyes. It was something she had been trained to do by Marjolaine, long ago, a skill that once learned seemed to never go away. Aedan had teased her, on occasion, about how she had loved to look at him so much she had done it in her sleep. It had saved her life, more than once, but the pain she faced from eyes so dry was a stark reminder of how everything had a price.

Slowly blinking, she looked around the room, eyes seeking out the details in the early morning light. The tavern in Redcliffe had improved notably since Bella had taken over, the dingy interior scrubbed until a warmth shone from the wood. The woman had greeted her warmly, refused her coin for a room, and given her the best cuts of meat with dinner, which to be truthful was pretty good for Ferelden. It was strange, Leliana mused as she got up, that even so long after the Blight had ended there were those who remembered the bard and were more than willing to assist.

With a groan, she stood and stretched, feeling her joints pop slightly. She grabbed her leathers and pulled them on, hissing at the cool feel against her skin. Leliana quickly stashed everything in her pack, and after a splash of water on her face she slipped out of the room.

Bella was already up, her no-nonsense tone clearly heard from the kitchen as the bard walked across the main room. A quick pause to place a few silvers on the counter, and Leliana was out the door and headed down the hill, breathing deeply of the morning air. Fortunately, the smell of fish had not become overbearing yet, and she found herself enjoying the short walk to the blacksmiths.

Owen had started work early, the sound of the hammer and anvil ringing sharply through the morning quiet. The door to the forge was open, and when he saw Leliana he greeted her with a wave of his hammer.

"Good morning to you," he said cheerily, wiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm. "I remember you. You were with the Warden, when he saved my Valena."

"It is good to see you too," Leliana said with a smile. "I hope you have been well?"

"Aye, as can be," he responded. "It's been a bit lonely since Valena ran off with that chap from Honnleath, but she visits when she's able. How about yourself?"

Leliana gave a small sigh. "I'll hopefully be doing better once you've fitted me out to cross the Frostbacks, Owen."

The blacksmith whistled. "You taking the southern pass, instead of heading north towards Orzammar? It may be towards the end of spring, but up in the mountains you'll still be waist high in the cold stuff. You sure about this?"

She nodded. The night before she had used the ring again while in her room in the tavern, and the pull had been consistent with her previous experience. Morrigan was to the southwest, and she had no idea how close or how far the witch was. For all she knew, Morrigan could be in one of the Avvar encampments on either side of the pass, even. Going north was not an option. "I was hoping I could get the gear from you?"

Owen scratched his head, soot-stained fingers leaving a smudge on his ear. "You looking for the spikes to strap to the bottom of your boots?"

"Yes. I need a better cloak, as well, some warm breeches, and I wouldn't say no to glove and boot liners."

Giving a sigh, Owen turned to look at the pile of items by the door to the forge. "I know where the spikes are, but you'll have to try and find the rest yourself. Don't know why we haven't a proper shop here in town, but no one seems to mind buying from just me and Bella." He gave her a small grin. "Have at it, and don't worry about making a mess."

Leliana eyed the pile, then sent a swift prayer to the Maker that she wouldn't come across some poisonous insect before digging in.

_"So tell me a story," Aedan said, looking askance at the bard walking beside him. "Something light and funny, so I can forget that I'm covered in dragon gore." He reached up and scratched at his face, sending flakes of dried blood drifting away. "Ugh. I can't wait to bathe."_

_Leliana laughed. The warrior was covered with scratches and viscera, and his blue eyes looked decidedly unhappy from underneath his sodden hair. The bard, on the other hand, had managed to stay out of the fray, firing her bow with deadly precision at the dragon that had been Flemeth. _

_She was still not quite sure how she felt about going on a mission to kill Morrigan's mother, but from everything she had heard about the old woman she had been hard pressed to find a moral reason not to. Meeting the infamous Witch of the Wilds had done nothing to dissuade her, either. She was glad Aedan had refused to deceive Morrigan, despite her own feelings about the woman._

_"You want a comedy, then?" she said, tilting her head back as she thought. "I suppose I could come up with something."_

_"Just no _There Once Was A Girl From Jader_," Aedan grumbled. "Fergus used to like to tell that one over and over again. I still hear it in my sleep sometimes." He grew quiet, then, and the bard could hear him grit his teeth._

_It had taken a while for Leliana to get the whole story from their fearless leader. The story of betrayal, of such inordinate personal loss. She heard his nightmares on those nights she had watch. While he may have told Alistair that the archdemon was what plagued his dreams, she was fairly certain the beast wasn't named Howe._

_After a moment, she placed a hand on his arm, squeezing gently before dropping her arm to her side again. He didn't smile, but the warmth returned to his eyes._

_"Alright," she said. "How about the one about why the great Dane's first mabari was named Rabbit?"_

_An excited bark came from behind, and the mabari hound leaped in front of the two, his stub of a tail wagging in excitement as he danced in front of the bard._

_Aedan laughed, then, and reached down to scratch the dog behind one ear. "I'd say he wants to hear it, and you'll hear no objections from me."_

_"Well, you see," Leliana started, her voice mellowing out as she slipped into her storyteller mode, hands already moving to sketch shapes into the air. "Dane had gathered his wolves to serve him..."_

Placing the coin in Owen's hand, Leliana said her goodbyes and left, silently cursing the extra weight on her back as she eyed the hill out of town. She glanced towards the chantry, and spotted Chanter Farrah taking up her position by the board.

It was strange, now, to see the robes and know that she herself had once worn them. Part of her felt drawn to the peace and quiet that her life as a sister had brought her. The other felt as if she had temporarily been cocooned, and upon breaking free of her shell had finally found her true self.

A moment's hesitation, and she turned from the chantry, moving up the hill and out of the village.

Upon reaching the highway again, she turned towards the west, following the road that would take her to the southern Frostbacks. It had been many years since she had last seen the small Avvar outpost on the Fereldan side of the pass.


	17. Memories

**Author's Note:** Well here's a new one! I hope you enjoy it, I rather liked writing this chapter. As always, many thanks to my reviewers, Lehni and mille libri! You guys rock. Thanks to those who added my story to their Favorites or Alerts. You guys are cool too! As always, all reviews are welcome, so don't be shy! It's been proven that what you say can affect what I write!

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 17 - Memories

Looming overhead, the Frostback Mountains sent shadows cascading over the valley at its foothills. Despite the late hour of the morning, the air was chill, and Leliana could see that further in the mountains had snow. She gazed at the pass for a moment longer, then lowered her eyes.

A small Avvar encampment was at the base of the trail. It was sparse, the tents telling of the nomadic nature of those who lived in the mountains. It was used mostly as a trading post, a common place for Fereldans to purchase the winter gear and homemade novelties that could be sold to the rich back in Highever or Denerim. You could also, for the right price, find a guide to lead you through the pass.

_Her lips had turned blue, and her leathers were in tatters. The boots she had stolen from the merchant a ways back were ill-fitting, and the blisters had burst some time ago. She could feel the blood in them. Leliana ran a hand through the ragged remains of her hair, victim to a guard's boot knife some time ago. Shivering, she pulled the worn cloak she had been given by a passing traveler tighter around herself, and continued stumbling on the path._

_It had been at the town, deep in what used to be the Dales, that she had finally found someone who could direct her to the southern pass. All she had asked had given her strange looks, and told her she'd be better off heading north and back to the Imperial Highway._

_There were chevaliers there. Marjolaine would not let her go easily. She could not risk being seen and recaptured. All the torments she had been put through before would seem like child's play compared to what they would do to an escaped prisoner - an escaped traitor. The southern pass was her only option._

_Now she followed what appeared to be little more than a goat trail, deeper and higher into the foothills of the seemingly impassible Frostbacks. Her stomach growled, and Leliana prayed for a bush with berries. She had been forced to sell her weapons after escaping Val Royeaux, but the food she had purchased with the few coins she'd obtained had disappeared long ago._

_Her last hope was that the Avvar would help her to cross the mountains and enter Ferelden._

Leliana raised a hand in greeting to the Avvar who was standing in front of a large tent. The tent was the only structure with any sense of permanence, although she knew that the proprietors changed as often as the Avvar moved around. It was the trading post, merchant's tent and guide pickup.

"Hello," she said with a smile. "May Korth the Mountain-Father bless your journeys across his lands."

The Avvar male blinked in surprise. "May the Lady of the Skies help quicken your steps in your journeys across her lands." He towered over the bard, his demeanor quiet but friendly. "You have passed this way before?"

Leliana nodded. "Several years past. I was given passage with the tribe of the Khagan Bayan."

"I know Bayan," he responded. "His grandson is married to my niece. Well met, traveler. I am Samo. Do you seek passage back through Korth's land?"

"I do," she replied. "Do you know if a tribe will be heading through soon?"

"None that I am aware of." Samo scratched his chin. "However, Khagan Kubrat is sending his medicine woman to his brother, and she will have a hunter for an escort. They are to leave tomorrow. You may request of the Khagan to accompany them."

She sighed in relief, her shoulders slumping as if a great weight had been taken off. "Thank you, Samo. Where might I find the Khagan's tent?"

He pointed with one giant hand towards a large tent in the distance. "It is the one trimmed in blue. Tell them Samo sent you with his well wishes."

"I will!" Leliana braced her shoulders and started forward, weaving her way through the people towards the tent.

A young man lounged in front, slowly eating a traveler's loaf. He looked at her with disinterest. "What do you want?" he asked, his tone bored.

"Samo sent me with his well wishes," she replied, her tone light and neutral. "I wish to speak with Khagan Kubrat."

_"Khagan," a voice said, low and slightly distorted. She could not hear it quite well, and she tried to move her head, to listen better to the voice. Fire ripped through her body, the joints inflamed. She moaned, unable to hide the pain._

_"Khagan, the woman is very ill," the voice said, and Leliana desperately tried to open her eyes to see who was talking. She could feel the hardness of the ground underneath her furs, and despite her chills she knew that she was soaked with sweat. "What will you have us do?"_

_"We should leave her," said another voice, higher and meaner than the one before. A woman's, she thought, but could not discern through the haze in her mind. "She has given us nothing to bring her through the pass, we owe her nothing."_

_"No," a third voice said, this one deep and rolling. "Just because you have not gotten anything from her does not mean the tribe has not benefited. Her stories have pleased many._

_"We shall not leave her. Have the boys carry her in a stretcher, and make sure you watch her, Mina. If she gets beyond even your help, then we must prepare her for the Lady in proper fashion."_

_"Yes, Khagan," the first voice replied, and a cool hand brushed against Leliana's fevered brow._

"You would have me send you with my medicine woman and my wife's first son?" Khagan Kubrat asked, raising an eyebrow at the bard. "Why should I do such a thing?"

Leliana eyed the man. He was not much larger than herself, and the cast of his features suggested elven ancestry. His presence, however, was much larger, and it was easy to see how Kubrat had come to lead his own tribe.

"I do not know what I could possibly give to the clan of Khagan Kubrat," she said carefully. "You have only to ask, and if I can meet your demands it will be decided."

Kubrat smiled. "You have traveled with Avvar before."

The bard smiled back. "I was blessed to travel with Khagan Bayan, who saw fit to bring me through Korth's lands in exchange for my stories."

The Avvar clapped his hands together in delight. "Ah! So you are the storyteller Bayan mentioned all those seasons ago. It is rare for us to hear stories outside of our own. That is a fine trade indeed. I must insist, however, that you use your time by the campfire teaching your stories to my wife's first son, so that he may share them when he returns."

"Of course," Leliana replied, her eyes twinkling. "I'd be more than happy to."

_"I lied to you, you know? About why I left Orlais."_

_Those words were some of the hardest she had ever said, and Leliana cringed slightly, fully prepared for Aedan's fury at her deception._

_Instead, he listened to her story, attentive and supportive, and she nearly broke down into tears._

_"Thank you, for trusting me with this," he said gently, reaching out one hand to rub her arm._

_"It feels good to have this off my chest," she replied, wiping her cheeks with her hands. "Thank you for listening and understanding."_

_He laughed quietly. "Of course. Don't be daft. No one's perfect. If anything, this makes me feel a little bit better, because now I know you aren't spying on us for Orlais." He looked at her, and grimaced when he saw the look of hurt and surprise on her face. "Oh, Maker. That came out wrong. I didn't really think you were spying on us, Leli. Not really. It's just..."_

_"It's okay," she said quietly. "I'm an Orlesian bard. You must have heard stories from your father about the Game."_

_"Sure, my father told me some," Aedan replied. "I think I heard more about it from the few times I met Teyrn Loghain. All the reasons to hate Orlais used to be his favorite topic." He gave a bitter laugh. "Now I'm sure it's all the reasons to hate Grey Wardens." He ducked his head, bringing his eyes level with hers. "Look, I'm sorry. I said something I shouldn't have. But in all honesty, I'm really glad you told me, because now I feel like I can trust you completely, and that means a lot to me. Thank you."_

_After a moment, Leliana sniffed. "It's okay," she said. "I can't blame you. But I'm glad you trust me now."_

_Aedan drew her into a hug then. "Me too."_


	18. Over The Dales And Through The Woods

**Author's Note:** Woohoo! Another chapter done. I'm on a road trip right now, so I guess something about driving for hours on end really puts me in the mood to sit down and pound out a chapter. Excellent. Many thanks to mille libri and Lehni for you kind words, they mean a lot to me! To those who added my story to their Favorites or Alerts, thank you too! Hope you all enjoy.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 18 - Over The Dales And Through The Woods

The stream ran swiftly through the woods, the water clear and sparkling in the midday sun. It was wide, but shallow, and liberally scattered with rocks. A large boulder sat at the bend, and on it rested the bard, her leathers cleaned and smallclothes drying on the smooth surface. Leliana lounged, enjoying her solitude and the sense of freedom that came from being alone in the wilds.

She had finally regained normal feeling in her hands and toes the previous day, having suffered from the freezing winds of the southern pass. Her guide, Enra, had been more than happy for her addition to the party, preferring her light chatter to the sullen silence of the medicine woman Beleth. She had dutifully taught him some of the simpler ballads and stories, the easy rhymes and rhythms catching his ear. Enra had talent, she mused, and hoped he'd continue to expand on it.

The trip had been cold, but mostly painless.

Since leaving them at the encampment on the Orlais side of the Frostbacks, she had traveled southwest, taking her bearing with the ring every morning and every afternoon. She had found the stream just as the supplies Enra had given her disappeared, and the fish she caught was already cooking.

Lying on the boulder, enjoying the peace of the woods, Leliana started to sing. The words to the nursery rhyme came from many years in her past, the words reminiscent of her mother. She manipulated the simple tune, her voice adding richness and depth to the notes. Slowly, it changed, and she found herself singing of Aedan and the Fifth Blight.

_"When all this is over, will you write a ballad about it?"_

_Leliana looked up from tuning her lute to see Aedan standing there, his eyes crinkled slightly as he grinned. "I suppose so," she said, motioning with one hand at the seat beside her on the log. He took it, pulling out his dagger and a sharpening stone. "It will be hard, as I am not fond of putting terrible events to song, but Morrigan is right in this. How will people learn from these events if they are never told?"_

_The warrior snickered. "Don't let Morrigan hear you think she might be right about something. You'll never hear the end of it. I'm glad, though, that you'll do it. I can't imagine anyone else could get it right." He looked at her then._

_She found herself caught in his gaze, his eyes reflecting the evening fire. "I'll do my best," she said, pulling herself away from him slightly and turning back to her lute._

_"Just do me a favor?" he asked, turning his gaze back to his dagger as he drew the stone along the edge. "Don't leave out any of the bad stuff. I don't want to be glorified."_

_Leliana laughed. "You don't always get to chose."_

"You sing so sadly, but your tale is victorious. Why is that?"

Leliana gave a small shriek, swiftly grabbing her leathers and covering herself with them. She cast about for the speaker, but all she could see was river and trees and rocks.

"I'm not looking, if you want to get dressed," the voice came again. "I promise I won't peek."

Still unable to spot the person who had broken her solitude, she quickly donned her still damp smallclothes and leathers, hopping about slightly in her haste. "Who's there?" she queried, running a hand through her wet hair.

A small elf appeared from behind a rock, walking towards her hesitantly. "You're a shem, aren't you?" the elf asked, eyeing her with curiosity. "I've never seen one before."

It was a Dalish elf, still free of the blood writing of adulthood. Leliana could not tell if the elf was male or female, the thin frame hidden underneath leathers and the hair chopped just above the ears.

"Hello," she said, scrambling down from the boulder and coming to a stop some feet away from the elf. "My name is Leliana."

"I'm Tick," the elf said, backing away slightly. A slingshot appeared in one hand. "Well, at least that's what everyone calls me. Mamae is the only one who calls me Lathin." Tick's brow furrowed. "Why was your song so sad?"

The bard opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a crashing in the bushes behind her. She turned to see another elf, a young man, come stumbling out of the brush.

"I swear, Tick, if you don't stop running from me I'm gonna tell Mamae and she'll have you cleaning up after the halla for the next _week_." The elf looked up after righting himself, glaring irritably. "What the- TICK!" He quickly pulled his longbow off his back, and aimed an arrow at Leliana. "Get away from my sister!"

Leliana raised her hands, showing the boy her empty hands. "I mean her no harm," she said carefully.

"Oh, stow it, dirt for brains," Tick scoffed, hurrying to place herself between her brother and Leliana. "She hasn't done anything to me. I had it completely under control, see?" She waved her slingshot in the air, accidentally sending it flying. "Oops." The small elf ran to retrieve it, slipping the handle through her belt.

He huffed, rolling his eyes. "Tick, you're such a len." Hesitatingly only for a moment, he lowered his bow. "Good thing the shem looks pretty harmless."

"I am not a child!" Tick scowled. "And she's plenty dangerous. I found a bow and a set of daggers in her stuff! Pretty good bow, too. It's as nice as anything the crafter has."

Frowning, the elven boy raised his bow slightly, keeping Leliana firmly in front of him. "I doubt it's that nice. Pom may be a bit slow, but he makes good weapons. We get a lot for them when we trade with the other clans."

"It _is_ nicer!" the girl insisted. "Just wait until you see it."

"If you like," Leliana said, making sure to put forth her least threatening appearance. "We can gather my things and go to your camp, so I can gain passage through here from your Keeper."

"Yeah!" Tick exclaimed. "C'mon, Virlath, lets bring her! I bet the Keeper would want to talk to her."

"No way," he replied. "I'm not showing a shem where we're camped. Tick, you grab the weapons and bring them to me. We'll walk her far enough away from camp, then tell the Keeper so as to make sure she doesn't come back."

The girl kicked at the ground, brow furrowed again. "Oh, all right."

Virlath motioned with his chin to Leliana. "Go pick up your stuff after Tick has your weapons. She'll go in front, and I'll follow behind."

Leliana nodded, and once the elven girl had grabbed the recurve and daggers and brought them to her brother, the bard went and grabbed her pack, quickly settling it on her shoulders. "Lead the way," she said, motioning for Tick to lead the way.

"Tell me," Leliana asked after a while, looking back at the young man. "I realize this may be a long shot, but did a woman with child pass through here about three years ago?"

Virlath studied her. "I don't know. I wasn't an adult then, I wouldn't have been informed if there was a shem in the area."

"Thank you anyway," she said with a sigh. "Tell me, what is around here? I do not know the Dales very well."

"If you head west," Virlath said after a moment, "you would eventually reach the Gamordan Peaks. South, the Arbor Wilds. Any other direction has too many options, from what I know of Thedas."

"This is boring," Tick interrupted irritably, causing both Virlath and Leliana to start. "Can you sing that song again? The one from before? I didn't get to hear it all."

Leliana looked down at the tiny elf child, and laughed. "Very well. I will sing you the song of the Grey Warden Aedan, and all that led to his ending of the Fifth Blight..."

Morrigan was to the southwest, or so the ring told her. Southwest to the end of the Gamordan Peaks. A day's journey past that was Mont-de-glace and the shores of the Sundered Sea.

Leliana knew Mont-de-glace. She had killed her first target there, after all.


	19. Understandings

**Author's Note: **Would you look at that. Another chapter! The penultimate one, to boot. Thank you so much to all who have stuck with me while I have written this story, it means a lot to me. I hope, when it's all over, you won't think it a waste of time! As always, thanks to my reviewers Lehni and mille libri. You have made this experience infinitely more enjoyable. Also, thanks to those who added it to their Favorites or Alerts. You make me smile too!

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 19 - Understandings

She pushed steadily against the incline, her calves and thighs aching from spending the day descending and traveling through the Gamordan foothills. From the top of the previous hill she had seen her first glimpse of the Sundered Sea, and a dark smudge at the edge that might have been the town of Mont-de-glace.

It was a strange name for the town, she mused as she struggled to keep her breath from going ragged. There was no actual ice mountain there, although you could see icebergs off in the distance occasionally, drifting north from the frozen wastelands far beyond. Mont-de-glace was instead famous for its copious amount of salt, the substance being the main export of the small town. Those who did not fish in the sea for food mined the salt for seasoning. During the warmer summer months, the town drew a few nobles: those who could not afford summer estates on the Waking Sea.

Practically falling up the last few steps, she reached the summit, pausing to take in a deep breath of air before looking around. The view, while stark, was stunning, the traces of white salt cutting glittering lines through the land. There were few traces of the greenery she had left behind, just a smattering of shrubs and sparse grass. This much closer, she could clearly see the town. She would be there by early evening.

It was strange to be back here, Leliana thought. She had sworn, so long ago, that she would never return to the place where she had well and truly become a bard.

_"Listen closely, my sweet," Marjolaine purred as they drew close to the mansion. They could already hear the revellers. Lord Bellamy had invited all the nobles within a days travel, as well as most of the higher class merchants. The mansion was fair to bursting with guests. "I know we have discussed this many times, but I need to know that you can do this."_

_"Marjolaine," Leliana snapped, softening the tone of her voice with a smile. "I am ready. It is simple, really. Go in, seduce the Chevalier Commander, get him somewhere private, then take care of him." She leaned forward, boldly kissing her bardmaster on the cheek. "I will see to it."_

_Marjolaine nodded firmly. "Of course you will. I never had any doubt." She reached up, tucking a strand of freshly dyed brown hair behind Leliana's ear. "I hope it will wash out quickly," she murmured, and the look in her eyes was strangely sad. She backed away, and her expression shut down, her face once again a mask of mild amusement. "Go, my darling girl, and when you return triumphant I will reward you as only I can."_

_A mischievous twinkle in her eye, Leliana nodded, and brushed past her master to head to the mansion._

_It was laughably easy to fool the doorman, a flash of a white card scribbled upon sufficient enough for him to think she an invited guest. Whirling into the drawing room, she scanned it, quickly finding her mark. She walked towards him steadily, making as if to approach him, then at the last second allowed herself to be pulled away by a young man who seemed very appreciative of her low __décolletage._

_She spent the next few hours dancing with various young man, always sure to keep herself within view of the chevalier. He watched her on occasion, the interest apparent in his eyes, but he seemed fine with letting her be. When next she found herself alone, she flounced into a chair beside him, breathing deeply and fanning her face. They soon started up a conversation, and when she was approached for a dance she waved the man away, for all intents and purposes settled upon the Chevalier Commander._

_When he asked her to accompany him to his rooms, she blushed and acquiesced, her voice breathy and excited. She shook gently as they left the mansion, walking the few blocks. She let him draw her up the stairs to his door, and giggled nervously when she entered. _

_When he kissed her neck, wrapping his arms around her from behind, she gave a sigh. He went to kiss her, and she eagerly returned it, lips meeting in heated passion. His hands went to her breasts, and she moaned her appreciation, arching her back as he touched her expertly. His hands went to the ties of her dress, and soon he had it off of her. Her own hands fumbled slightly with his clothes, and he helped her. When they stood there naked, she trembled in his arms, and he laid her gently on the bed._

_He fell asleep soon after they finished, and she eased herself from his hold. Slipping into her dress again, she pulled out the thin blade carefully hidden in the belt. She stood over him, studying his naked form in the moonlight from the window, before swiftly burying the dagger in his heart. His eyes flew open, and the look he gave her was one of confusion, of hurt. A cough, and a small spatter of blood hit her hand. He died._

_She quickly exited his home, easing the door shut before disappearing into the night. A few tears fell unchecked, but when she met with Marjolaine in the alley a few streets away, her eyes were clear and dry._

It was strange to enter the town of Mont-de-glace again, and as she wove her way through the streets Leliana half expected to see Marjolaine again, risen from the dead and ready to teach her all the pain and sorrow one could feel as a bard. Giving a small shake of her head, she headed towards the town center.

She found herself at the small market, a few stalls thrown up where those wares the townsfolk didn't make themselves could be bought. Leliana headed towards one where herbs were strung up.

"Hello, lass," the proprietor, a plump older woman with ruddy cheeks and a smile, greeted her. "You need some herbs or spices? I have lots of variety."

"Thank you, no," Leliana said, returning the smile. "I was hoping I could get some information from you."

The shopkeeper's smile became fixed, and her eyes glinted. "I don't know what kind of information you'd be wanting from me," the woman said. "I don't know anything."

Leliana poured on the charm, easily using the tricks she had learned from Marjolaine all those years ago. "Oh, I'm sure you must know everything that goes on here. I am looking for my cousin. She would have come out this way about three years ago? She had a dalliance with a merchant's son, and when my uncle found out she was with child he threw her out. I have been looking for her ever since, and thought I might find her here. She's a bit taller than me, dark hair, amber eyes, a bit short of temper?"

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed, and her features softened again. "You must mean Maggie. She came here about that timeframe, just before she had her child. Waspish woman, but she's a right hand with potions, and she saved my husband's life when the salt mine collapsed and his leg got broken and infected." The woman beamed. "She gathers most of her ingredients herself, but what she can't find I get for her."

"Maggie!" Leliana said with relief. "Yes, that would be her. Do you know where I can find her?"

"She left this morning to go into the hills, said she was running low on blood lotus and elfroot. You could head to her place, it's at the far end of the docks, near the edge of town. It's red brick with a rosebush in front. I imagine she'll be back in an hour or two."

The bard thanked the woman profusely, then moved towards the docks, wending her way through the streets. A breeze was coming off of the sea, and the air smelled surprisingly free of fish. It was a beautiful afternoon, and Leliana basked in it as she walked.

She found the house easily enough, a small home well made and tucked away from the street. The rosebush in front had several small buds on it, and for a moment Leliana was transported back to Lothering, to the single rose that greeted her after she had woken from her visionary nightmare. It took her only a moment to pick the lock, and she slipped inside, easing the door shut behind her.

The house was clean, and sparse, the front room obviously used for "Maggie" to see her patients in. A decent kitchen was off to the side, and in the back was a large bedroom. The clothes in the chest at the foot of the bed were of the right size for Morrigan, if a bit less revealing than what Leliana was used to seeing the witch in. There was also a small pile of children's clothing, and a toy horse sat on the floor, worn and well loved. She picked it up, rolling it about in her hands as she continued to look around.

After she searched through the entire home, Leliana went back to the front room, putting her pack down and settling into a chair in the corner by the fireplace. Morrigan had done well for herself, although the money she had saved through their adventures during the Blight had obviously been used to get her this home.

Toy horse in hand, she waited for the witch to return.

_He held her close, breathing still ragged from their exertions. Leliana lifted her head from his shoulder, looking up to see Aedan gazing down at her with such softness in his eyes it made her chest ache. Tilting her chin up, she kissed him, soft and languorous._

_"That was... incredible," he murmured as she set her head back on his shoulder. He gently stroked her back with one hand, the other lying listlessly by his side. "_You_ are incredible. I mean, there's no comparison."_

_Leliana laughed. "I know for a fact you have been with a woman before. Surely this was not so different?" She had meant to say it teasingly, but just a hint of bitterness had crept through. She winced, hoping he had not caught it._

_He held her tighter for a moment. "This was different," he said softly. "I never waited before. I always had my pick of women, and all that was required was that they not despise me. Or have slept with Fergus first. This was the first time I waited until after I felt something." He kissed the top of her head. "It's so different when you love the woman first."_

_She blushed at that. "I love you too," she replied, and burrowed into his side, holding him tightly. After a moment, she looked up again, brow still furrowed with worry. "Why did you two stop... you know."_

_He blinked in surprise. "Me and Morrigan?" He looked at the tent ceiling. The silence stretched on, and Leliana had to refrain from fidgeting. "Do you remember the Urn?"_

_"Of course," she said, studying the lines of his face. "I will never forget."_

_"Morrigan wanted me to desecrate the ashes," Aedan said with a sigh. "She wanted me to do it so that Kolgrim would help us. I'm not terribly religious, you know that. I think most of the people who follow the Chantry are blind fools, unable to take the blame for their own problems and wanting some almighty power to save them from themselves. I think there's too much power in the main body of the Chantry, and they abuse it for more power and coin."_

_Leliana bit her lip, resisting the urge to disagree with him. Aedan was for the most part right, she knew that. She had seen it while in Lothering. He just didn't understand the comfort people got from belief in the Maker and from having a physical representation of Him in the body of the Chantry._

_"But just because I disagree with a lot of it, doesn't mean I don't believe in Andraste and the Maker. And I certainly don't go around desecrating something sacred to other religions, let alone my own. That's just bad manners, and my mother would be horrified, and quite frankly I have more respect for the beliefs of others than that." He turned his head to look at her again, and gave a smile. "Morrigan couldn't understand that. She called me stupid, and soft, and was angry. I couldn't believe that she would have so little respect." Aedan gave a half shrug. "One thing led to another, and then that was it. We were done. I don't think either of us expected it, but I wasn't going to make the first step, and neither was she."_

_He rolled over suddenly, settling firmly on top of her. He put his forehead to hers, looking her deep in the eye. "Quite frankly, it couldn't have worked out better. She can just sod off, as far as I'm concerned."_

_Leliana felt herself smile, and the look in his eye let her know it was probably the sappiest smile she had ever given. She kissed him then, wrapping her legs around his waist as she pulled him flush against her._

_"They can all sod off," Aedan said in between kisses. "I'm never leaving this tent while you're still in it."_

She was jolted out of a doze by the sound of the door flying open. Looking up, she saw a small boy dash inside. "Mama, the door's already open!" He piped, before turning to see Leliana sitting in the corner. "Hi," the boy said shyly, shifting from foot to foot. "Are you here to see Mama? Are you sick?"

"Is someone here, Artur?" came a familiar voice, and through the door stepped Morrigan. Wearing a simple dress of good fabric, hair swept up in her typical bun, the witch looked exactly the same and completely different all at once. A basket with plant leaves and roots was hooked over one arm. She turned to look at her guest, and amber eyes met blue.

"Oh," Morrigan said, voice flat. "'Tis you."


	20. The End Is The Beginning Is The End

**Author's Note: **See end.

**Find Morrigan  
**by wayfaringpanda

Chapter 20 - The End Is The Beginning Is The End

"Hello, Morrigan," Leliana greeted the witch, slowly standing up from the chair. "It is good to see you again."

"I'll not lie and say the same," Morrigan sniped. "Artur, don't just stand there with your mouth open."

Snapping his mouth shut, the boy looked between the two women, his blue eyes wide. Leliana smiled at him. "He looks like his father," she said. "Same coloring." She crouched down in front of the boy. "Hello, Artur. My name is Leliana. It is very nice to meet you."

He looked at his mother, who rolled her eyes and turned towards the kitchen, placing her basket of collected plants on the counter and starting to sort through them. "'Lo," he finally said. "Are you Mama's friend?"

"Hardly," Morrigan said from the kitchen, not looking up from her task.

"We are old acquaintances, your mother and I," Leliana said, smiling at the boy. "I knew her before you were even born!"

"Really?" the boy gasped, eyes widening even further in delight. "Wow, that's a long time!"

"It is," Leliana said, her tone serious. "I knew your father, too. We all traveled together."

Artur's brow furrowed, and he looked down at the ground. "I don't know my dad," he said quietly, toeing the ground. "He's not around."

Her heart aching, she reached out and hugged the child. "Oh, darling, it is not that he does not want to be here with you. He _can't_ be."

Morrigan slammed a cupboard shut, and Leliana looked to see the other woman was scowling. "Yes, he can't be here," the witch said scathingly. "By his own choice. It could have been different."

"He made his choice to end the Blight in no uncertain terms," the bard responded. "He would not send Alistair to his death."

"I will not talk about this here," Morrigan replied, returning to the front room. She grabbed Artur's hand, heading towards the door. "I will drop him with the neighbor, and we will discuss all we have to discuss then."

Leliana stood, wincing at the stiffness in her knees, and followed them out the door. She watched as Morrigan walked Artur to another house down the way, and he soon disappeared inside. Morrigan turned back to Leliana, and motioned for her to follow. The two walked out of town, the stone path along the water solid under their feet. Soon, they disappeared into a dell, away from all.

"You've become domesticated, Morrigan," Leliana mused. "A mother, running a shop, actually having neighbors willing to do you a favor in watching the boy? How you've changed."

"What is it that you want from me, Leliana?" Morrigan said, turning to face the bard. "Why have you come after all these years? Certainly _he_ could not have sent you, as I heard that fool of a templar was king. Aedan must be dead."

"Yes, he's dead," Leliana replied heatedly. "Not that you stayed to help in the fight."

Fists clenched, Morrigan glared at her. "I _tried_ to save his life. I gave him an out, and the two of you could have lived happily ever after. He decided to be an utter fool, to completely destroy one of the most powerful souls in Thedas, to seal his own fate. I wash my hands of it."

Leliana swayed slightly as the blood drained from her face. "What do you mean, you gave him an out?"

Morrigan laughed. "Aedan did not tell you? Well, 'tis only natural, I suppose. He was a coward in the end. I told him of a ritual, one that would spare his life. No Grey Warden would of had to die."

"Ritual?"

Morrigan waved a hand dismissively. "We would have lain together, and through the ritual any child I had conceived would have taken the Old God's soul instead of the Warden who slew the archdemon. None would have died, save from fatal wound."

She could hear the roaring of blood through her veins, and her vision blurred. Leliana staggered slightly. "Why didn't he?" she whispered, gazing at Morrigan.

The witch shrugged. "He told me 'twould be wrong. 'Twas too dangerous to have an Old God running about." She sneered at Leliana. "That he would not _betray_ you like that."

"Oh, Aedan," Leliana said faintly. "You bastard." He could have lived. He could have _lived_.

"Enough," Morrigan snapped, breaking through Leliana's grief. "Why have you come? To what purpose?"

"Alistair sent me," Leliana said, still in shock. "He learned of your pregnancy. He wants the child to raise."

Her amber eyes narrowing, Morrigan circled away slightly from the bard. "Oh?" she said, her voice dripping acid. "I'm supposed to let you take my child, is that it?" Her fingers started to twitch, the temperature dropping slightly. "Artur would be raised by the Chantry and that fool? I think not!" Raising her hand, she fired Winter's Grasp at the bard.

Leliana came to herself as she felt her limbs go slightly numb, and she darted to the side, automatically bringing her daggers out. "Morrigan!" she shouted, but the witch was too focused on her next spell.

Lightning crackled through the air, singeing her hair as Leliana dodged. She cursed, and cast about desperately for cover. "Morrigan!" she cried again. She had not meant for it to come across that she would take Artur from the witch. It had come out all wrong, and the bard did not know how to get that across.

"You took Aedan from me," Morrigan screamed, eyes flashing in fury as she threw another Lightning. "And now you wish to take my son!"

Leliana dashed forward, reversing her dagger and sinking the pommel into Morrigan's stomach. The witch exhaled explosively, falling back. She recovered quickly, twisting to the side and away from the bard. Her hands started moving through the air, and Leliana could feel the power gather.

Another look around told her that there was no cover to be had, and the bard circled Morrigan. "Please, listen!" she called desperately. She started forward again, hoping to knock the witch out to end the confrontation.

Before she could reach Morrigan, a powerful blast of mana came, and soon she was surrounded by a whirling ice storm. Leliana could feel herself slow as her limbs froze, and she pushed blindly through it and towards the witch.

She stumbled, and found herself in front of Morrigan. Her eyes met Morrigan's amber ones, and the anger and hurt and fear she found there shocked Leliana. "Morrigan..." she said, swaying slightly in front of the other woman.

"I won't let you win this time," Morrigan hissed, and let loose her next spell.

The Stonefist hit Leliana directly in the stomach, the force from being that close to the point of origin extreme. She flew backwards, sailing through the air several feet before landing on the ground. Laying there for several seconds, staring up at the sky, unable to breathe. When finally she managed to inhale, she screamed in pain, a thin wail that went through the air before ending in a wet cough. She tried to move, but found herself unable to control any of her extremities.

Morrigan stalked forward, hesitating for a moment before crouching over Leliana. She reached out with her hands, gently touching the bard's torso and sending tendrils of mana into her. After a moment, she pulled back. "You are bleeding on the inside," the witch said firmly. "Your back has been badly injured as well."

"Morrigan," Leliana said softly, coughing again. "Alistair wants to make Artur his heir."

Morrigan looked down at the bard, her face inscrutable. "He would have Artur be king?"

Slowly, the bard shook her head. "Doesn't quite work that way... in Ferelden. Landsmeet, remember?" Another wet cough, more forceful. "But he would name Artur, put him in line to succeed."

Morrigan reached into a pocket, pulling out a kerchief which she used to wipe at Leliana's mouth. The bard could see the blood on it before the witch stashed it away. "What am I to do, then? Drop my child off in Denerim to be raised by a templar?"

"Stay with him," Leliana said, eyes losing focus slightly. She shifted her gaze from the witch, instead looking up at the sky. "Be his mother, Morrigan. Alistair would not deny you, and he would be a good father. Anora would make sure he wanted for nothing. He could be king one day, even. Who knows what he would do with such power, what changes for the better he could make." She coughed again, and a buzzing sound filled her ears.

Morrigan touched her again, sending another bit of mana through her. "You may be dying," she said. "I don't have enough mana to heal you, and no more access to lyrium."

"I'm sorry I took him from you," Leliana sighed. "But I am not sorry he was mine. I loved him too much to ever regret that." Suddenly, she found herself smiling, and she laughed weakly. "I have no regrets. I didn't know that. It's... nice. I hope you feel the same, someday."

Morrigan stood, looking in the direction of town. "I will not promise to take Artur to Alistair," she finally said. "But I will think about it, about the power he could have." She glanced down at Leliana. "I will let the town mayor know you're here, and I'm sure someone will come to dither over you." With that, she turned and walked away, disappearing over the rise.

Leliana didn't watch her go, instead keeping her eyes on the sky above. There was not a cloud in sight, and the shade of blue was so deep it reminded her of the little boy she had just met. Of the boy's father, whose eyes were seared into her soul.

"Oh, Aedan," she said wistfully, "I forgive you." She cried as her vision faded away.

_"I feel the same way," Aedan said, his grin broad. "I'm glad you do too."_

_Flustered, Leliana sputtered. "Really? N-no one told me. You felt the same way, and didn't do me the courtesy of informing me?" She reached out and smacked him lightly on the arm. "You made me say all those things! Why couldn't you have said them first?"_

_He laughed, eyes crinkling in mirth. He started to respond, but was unable to get the words out._

_"Oh, you- how very awkward!" She sat down in front of the fire, staring moodily into it. It had taken every ounce of courage for her to approach Aedan. For weeks she had felt the burn of Morrigan's gaze in her back, as she had started to flirt with their Grey Warden leader. In the end, though, the glint in his eye had driven her confession, the hope that maybe she had a chance._

_The warrior sank down next to her, wiping away a stray tear. "You still like me, right?"_

_After a moment, Leliana chuckled. "Oh, why am I being such a baby about this? I must be a sight, spilling my guts."_

_Aedan didn't respond. Instead, he reached out with one arm, pulling her forcefully closer. Tilting her chin up with his other hand, he kissed her, lips moving softly against her own._

_Something inside her seemed to click, and suddenly everything that was wrong in her life seemed inconsequential. _This_ was exactly where she was supposed to be._

_"Well, I, um..." she said as they pulled apart. She giggled slightly as she subconsciously licked her lip. "That settles it then." Morrigan be damned, she would take this. She was done avoiding the things in life that made her happy. If it hurt in the end, so be it._

_She was home._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:** Well, there you have it. **Find Morrigan** is now complete. It's been a whirlwind journey, and I have had a complete and utter blast. I'm glad you made it this far, and I hope you enjoyed my story. I know it's not quite what I promised it would be in the beginning, and in all actuality it's not exactly what I had originally planned, but by and large I'm pleased with it. I want to thank all of my reviewers throughout this entire process - Abydos Jackson, Rachel(dot)Three, Inclassandbored, Appealtoreason, interesting2125, sova, Asha'man X, Yella Fella 77; mille libri, who has been there for me from the first with such outstanding support; last but not least Lehni, who with just the right comments has helped me remember that all actions have reasons and consequences. Thanks for everything, guys!


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